Man Charged With Endangering The Welfare Of a Child: PD

WEST BABYLON, NY — A 48-year-old man was arrested and charged on Friday morning after he reportedly hit a boy's head against a car window and threatened him with pepper spray, Suffolk County Police said.

John Petrillo, of West Babylon, was charged with second-degree menacing and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

According to police, a 13-year-old boy was walking with five school friends from one of their houses on 14th Ave., toward the playground at Tooker Elementary School, at 5:43 p.m. on Wednesday. Along the way, the boy knocked on the door of a random house on 2nd Street and then ran away, police said..

Petrillo, who lives at the house, ran after him, police said. The boy then fled on a bicycle, and Petrillo pursued him in a 2015 Chrysler sedan, cutting him off at 13th Street and Tooker Avenue, police said.

Petrillo then got out of the Chrysler and pulled the boy off the bicycle, police said. He pushed him against the car, hit the boy’s head against the car window, and displayed pepper spray, police said.

He threatened to use it on the boy, and threatened to let his dog attack him if he tried to run away, police said.

A passerby stopped and intervened, police said, and Petrillo released the boy. As the boy left with his friends, Petrillo verbally threatened him, police said.

Following an investigation Petrillo was arrested at his house at about 1 a.m. on Friday, police said.

He was being held overnight at the First Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday, police said.