Man Charged With Threatening Boy Confirmed LIRR Employee

WEST BABYLON, NY — A West Babylon man who allegedly followed a boy on his bike and threatened him with pepper spray last week has been identified as a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) employee, Patch has confirmed.

John W. Petrillo, 46, was charged with second-degree menacing and endangering the welfare of a child on Friday, Suffolk County Police said.

Patch confirmed on Wednesday that Petrillo is an LIRR employee. The MTA declined to comment on personnel matters.

According to See Through New York, Petrillo made an annual salary of $118,935 in 2020, as yardmaster.

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 last week. Along the way, the boy knocked on the door of Petrillo's house and ran away, 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, and Petrillo released the boy, police said. As the boy left with his friends, Petrillo verbally threatened him, police said.

Police arrested Petrillo at his house at about 1 a.m. on Friday, police said.

He is due back in court on April 1.