What to Know
- A man allegedly went to his neighbors' home with a shotgun and threatened to harm a 62-year-old woman and 17-year-old boy
- Authorities say he also chucked barbells at their windows, shattering glass; the confrontation was over some sort of ongoing argument
- The nature of the dispute wasn't clear; Joseph Magistro now faces a litany of charges including aggravated harassment and menacing
An enraged Long Island man allegedly went to his neighbors' home with a shotgun in his hands and started throwing barbells at the windows before threatening a 62-year-old woman and her grandson with the weapon, cops say.
Joseph Magistro was involved in some kind of ongoing argument with the people who live at the Bayview Avenue home in Wantagh, authorities say. The nature of the dispute wasn't clear -- a criminal complaint indicates racist language was used by the suspect, who is white, against the victims, who are black -- but police say he went to the house around 3:30 p.m. and began chucking barbells.
The barbells bashed through the window glass; the complaint says he also broke windows with the butt of the shotgun.
Magistro also allegedly broke a window in the back of the house as he screamed and threatened to hurt the woman and 17-year-old with his gun, authorities say. The victims retreated inside their home as they were being threatened and called police. Cops arrested Magistro when they arrived. He was treated at the scene for a hand laceration, which court papers say he got when he cut himself on the broken glass, and taken to a hospital for treatment and evaluation.
No other injuries were reported. A criminal complaint estimates the cost of the damage Magistro allegedly did at around $2,000.
He faces multiple charges, including menacing, aggravated harassment, criminal trespass and criminal possession of a weapon. Magistro is expected to be arraigned later Tuesday. Information on a possible attorney wasn't available.
