Wiesel’s alleged attacker awaits extradition
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Jewish scholar Elie Wiesel was allegedly attacked at the  Argent Hotel. A suspect in the case will have his first court appearance Tuesday.
(— AP file photo)
Jewish scholar Elie Wiesel was allegedly attacked at the Argent Hotel. A suspect in the case will have his first court appearance Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - The man accused of attempting to kidnap Nobel laureate and Holocaust scholar Elie Wiesel in San Francisco will make his first court appearance Tuesday.

Eric Hunt, 22, is being housed in a New Jersey jail cell and will have his bail hearing Tuesday morning, according to Sgt. Guy Fillebrown of the Montgomery Township police. His bail is set at $500,000, according to police.

Hunt, of Sussex, N.J., was arrested Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Clinic mental health treatment facility in Somerset, N.J. He is being charged with being a fugitive from justice, Fillebrown said.

Hunt’s arraignment is scheduled for Friday morning.

Waiting extradition to San Francisco, Hunt is wanted on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, elder abuse, stalking, battery and the commission of a hate crime, according to police.

Hunt had allegedly been trailing the 78-year-old Weisel for weeks and finally caught up with him Feb. 1 at the Argent Hotel on Third Street.

According to police, Hunt confronted Weisel, who was in town for a peace conference, in an elevator and asked for an interview inside a hotel room.

When Weisel said he preferred to give the interview in the hotel lobby, Hunt dragged him out of the elevator onto the sixth floor. Hunt fled after Wiesel began to scream, and Weisel went to the lobby to call police.

Weisel was not badly hurt and was immediately escorted to the San Francisco International Airport.

Days later, Hunt allegedly boasted about the attack on the anti-Zionist Web site ZioPedia, saying he wanted to “bring Wiesel to my hotel room where he would truthfully answer my questions regarding the fact that his non-fiction Holocaust memoir, ‘Night,’ is almost entirely fictitious.”

Staff reports and wire services contributed to this report.


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Comments from Examiner Readers

12:37 PM MST on Tue., Jul. 22, 2008 re: "Man convicted of hate crime for accosting Wiesel"

Examiner Reader said:
they should post new signs in hotel lobbies, saying, if you're a nut case or think you're on the verge of a breakdown, please stand at the Nut line for assistance. and do not bother our hotel clients who are flipping our bills.

1 agree | 1 disagree
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10:09 AM MST on Fri., May. 16, 2008 re: "Nobel laureate accosted at peace conference"

Examiner Reader said:
I hope you are okay and that the police find him now next time just tracel with someone you trust ill even travel with you because i love hearing your stories

1 agree | 2 disagree
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8:43 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 18, 2008 re: "Elie Wiesel attack suspect identified"

Person said:
Wow thats wierd

2 agree | 1 disagree
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7:41 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 31, 2008 re: "Trial for man accused of accosting Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel"

Examiner Reader said:
elie wiesel is my hero

4 agree | 2 disagree
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12:29 PM MST on Sat., Mar. 29, 2008 re: "Elie Wiesel attack suspect identified"

Examiner Reader said:
If Elie Wiesel has to return to San Fransisco for the trial of his attacker, I hope That Elie takes someone like a friend or family member with him and does not travel alone. I have always liked his books and I admire him.

1 agree | 2 disagree
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9:17 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008 re: "Nobel laureate accosted at peace conference"

Examiner Reader said:
I am speechless as to the inhumanity and indifference that some readers seem to have. It speaks to the complete lack of connection that people have to one another. It is outrageous.

2 agree | 4 disagree
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10:16 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 21, 2008 re: "Wiesel attack suspect contrite"

Examiner Reader said:
it is not done and over with. whoever did it will surely come back for because they didn't finish the job.

4 agree | 4 disagree
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3:04 PM MST on Tue., Jan. 22, 2008 re: "Elie Wiesel attack suspect identified"

Examiner Reader said:
I feel really bad for the poor guy!He is really old how can he defend himself?!Oh well it is done and over with.

83 agree | 92 disagree
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8:13 AM MST on Thu., Jan. 10, 2008 re: "Elie Wiesel attack suspect identified"

Examiner Reader said:
You would have to be really stupid to not believe what happened to these people come on its HISTORY. This man lived that horror you unbelievers need to spend some time in Auschwitz!! Try something possitve for once in your lives instead of hatefulness!!!!

118 agree | 107 disagree
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8:37 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008 re: "Wiesel attack suspect contrite"

Examiner Reader said:
I think it was sincere because he didnt mean to scare Wiesel he just wanted to interview him and he souldnt be put in jail for trying to interview a author of a award winning book. OOOh Baby

105 agree | 100 disagree
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8:17 PM MST on Sun., Nov. 11, 2007 re: "Suspect in Wiesel attack case pleads insanity"

Examiner Reader said:
Wow. I hate to be off-topic about this, but check out the map function on this page. Seriously, I was able to point out the exact street where my house is.

171 agree | 191 disagree
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11:01 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 14, 2007 re: "Wiesel attack suspect contrite"

Examiner Reader said:
Hunt is sanity challenged--some may say: nuts"--his lawyer should reinstate the "not guilty by reason of insanity plea" and move on.

279 agree | 272 disagree
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9:32 PM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007 re: "Nobel laureate accosted at peace conference"

Examiner Reader said:
To think that one of the most respected humanitarians on this earth could be attacked by an anti-Semitic from the looney bin is devastating. I completely agree with Miss Hamlyn, and I pray that Mr Hunt is brought to justice. For someone like him to be let off the hook easily would be embarrassing, not only for our legal system, but for society as a whole.

351 agree | 381 disagree
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2:50 PM MST on Wed., May. 9, 2007 re: "Nobel laureate accosted at peace conference"

The Beast said:
It was the right thing to do by not fighting back, that was incredibly evil what that man did. Who would want to try to degrade what an advocate for mankind has to say? Only someone with issues I concur....

390 agree | 413 disagree
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7:29 PM MST on Tue., May. 8, 2007 re: "Nobel laureate accosted at peace conference"

Logan Grace Hamlyn said:
How foolish people truely are, obviously his morals and understanding of certain things are crossed. Even if he doesn't believe the Holocaust happened, his behavior was outragious. Honestly, I feel worse for Mr. Hunts parents than for his terribly disturbed mind. Because even thought their son committed the crime, they are living in the shame brought upon them by it. As a fourteen year old girl, I'm just begginning to try to understand motives of mankind. This, though it's not the worse that could have happened, is an incredibly shameful and "dumb-minded" act to do on such a well respected man.

437 agree | 376 disagree
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6:21 AM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007 re: "Elie Wiesel attack suspect identified"

Examiner Reader said:
wow well i feel sorry for what happend to you and hopefully those people will realize that people did die back then.i may only be 14 going on 15 but my grandmother was born in a concentration camp.. im not sure when... but hopefully people will see the story fromk your point of view

680 agree | 420 disagree
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4:47 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 16, 2007 re: "Elie Wiesel attack suspect identified"

Examiner Reader said:
thisis a shame people should stop hatin

383 agree | 411 disagree
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