The van contained prints that led cops to Vaughn, an ex-con, who confessed to the robbery and the shooting after he was arrested, police said.
Cops are still looking for the triggerman, while Halberstam, 25, is recovering from his wound at Bellevue Hospital and is in stable condition.
Word of the arrest rapidly spread through the Hasidic community after Shabbos concluded on Saturday evening.
Community Board 1 member Simon Weiser congratulated Shomrim, the volunteer police force in the Hasidic community, for doing a “great job” assisting in tracking down the getaway van.
Isaac Abraham, another community leader who has criticized the police for its lack of resources, praised the 90th Precinct’s detectives for investigating the case and swiftly making an arrest.
“This was a quick and good arrest,” said Abraham. “The inspector was given the resources and the Shomrim organization should be complemented too. Once they had the plate number is was only a matter of time.”