A Brooklyn man lost his life while trying to save his pets from a flooded basement, and he was known for his eccentricity, often referred to as a “scribe” due to his unusual courtroom appearances. Aaron Akabelli, 39, created quite a stir in 2016 when he donned bizarre costumes made from religious texts during a court case involving drug charges. Neighbors reported that he died a hero as he attempted to rescue his dogs and cats from the storm-drenched Flatbush home on Thursday.
“He had his quirks, but at the end of the day, he saved his dog, and that’s how he met his end,” shared neighbor Julia Toll, 20.
Akabelli, who recently moved into a basement apartment after spending time living in a tent, was remembered fondly by those in the community. “He had been around since my childhood,” a friend named Joe recounted. “When he first came to Crown Heights, everyone had good things to say about him.” Yet, he noted that opinions about Akabelli were now mixed.
His fame partly stemmed from that courtroom stunt ten years ago, where he wore clothing made from newspaper pages inscribed with sacred Hebrew writings. The outfit included a hat constructed from a printout of the original commandments given to Noah. Akabelli claimed he wore these clothes in protest after being barred from quoting Talmudic texts during hearings.
“It was important to him,” Joe remarked, emphasizing Akabelli’s deep religious convictions. He described him as a devout Jew committed to his beliefs and the rabbis in his community.
On Friday, four chickens were spotted wandering Akabelli’s yard, while another was seen hanging from the basement ceiling—an odd sight, perhaps, but a reflection of his life. Friends noted that he had brought the chickens home just after Yom Kippur.
During the severe rains that hit New York City, Akabelli first managed to escape the flood with one dog and a cat in his arms. He then decided to return to save his other dog, Yara, and another cat, Chuki, despite warnings from neighbors about the danger. “I told him not to go back,” one neighbor remarked. “But he pushed past me and went back inside.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t make it out again. A passerby caught video footage as emergency responders worked to retrieve his body from the flooded apartment. In a tragic twist, another man, Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, was discovered unresponsive in a flooded boiler room shortly after Akabelli was found.
Montoya Hernandez had been working odd jobs at a nearby supermarket. One tenant recalled a dangerous situation involving a loose wire: “I felt electrocuted. It’s terrible. We never wished for anything bad to happen to him.”
Superintendent Milton Mora commented that Montoya Hernandez “shouldn’t have been there” when the incident occurred, sharing his own near-death experience during the rescue attempt. “The water was up to my knees when I walked in,” he said. “He was already gone. I’ll never forget how it felt. He was like family to me—everyone loved him.”
