U.S. & World

Sen. Schumer: We're Gonna Get The Serbian Fugitive

Man Wanted In Connection With Savage Beating Of Brooklyn Student At Bar Near Binghamton University

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Is the Serbian fugitive accused of putting a Brooklyn college student in a coma a step closer to facing justice in the United States?

One U.S. Senator seems to think so.

Charles Schumer believes Miladin Kovacevic might be back in handcuffs soon. Kovacevic fled the U.S. for his native Serbia, rather than answer charges in an American courtroom that he allegedly beat Binghamton University student Bryan Steinhauer into a coma in a bar near campus.

"The law enforcement authorities believe they are getting closer to apprehending Kovacevic, and it seems that the Serbian government is now becoming helpful," Schumer said. 

When CBS 2 HD asked Schumer about the other issue in this case -- that a Serbian diplomat helped Kovacevic get out of the country --- the senator did not want to hear about things like "immunity."

"When you give someone an emergency passport, you're helping them leave the country," Schumer said. "And they knew he was charged with a crime because they posted the bail, so there's sort of no wiggle room for the Serbian government here."

Meanwhile, Steinhauer's parents have hired an attorney.

"I think we'll try to sue anyone or anything that we can," Irwin Rochman said. "Bryan's going to require a lot of medical attention."

This is more than a political matter for Schumer. It turns out that back in the day Schumer's grandmother -- and Steinhauer's grandmother -- lived across from each other. Who knew Minnie Schumer's boy would grow up to be a U.S. Senator who would help Henrietta Steinhauer's boy?

Schumer says the way Kovacevic was able to get a new passport after his had been confiscated exposed a loophole in our system. He's calling on the State Department and Homeland Security to close it.

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