A New York family was left shaken during an evening of trick-or-treating, when their night ended with their 6-year old having a gun pointed at him during Halloween.
An officer with the Nassau County Police Department confirmed that Michael Yifan Wen, 43, of Manhasset, New York was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and menacing after pointing a firearm at a 6-year-old’s head on Saturday.
The incident happened around 7:25 p.m., according to a press release shared by the department.
A 42-year-old mother was taking her daughter, two sons, and her nephew to what she thought was a particular home in the 100 block of Rockcrest Road. The 10-year-old girl intended to leave a goody bag at her friend’s house when her 6-year-old brother got out of the car to go with her.
They rang the doorbell and left a goody bag full of candy for Halloween on the porch, before returning to the vehicle.
However, the family didn’t get far before realizing they may have had the wrong address.
After returning to the residence, the 6-year-old went to grab the bag of treats to take it to the proper home. At this time, the front door opened, a male stepped out of the house and pointed a black handgun at the victim’s head.
According to the criminal complaint filed to authorities, Wen screamed “Get the f–k off my property” at the young boy.
Wen was arraigned on Sunday at First District Court in Hempstead, New York. He pleaded not guilty and was released. He’s ordered back to court on Nov. 13.
Wen’s attorney William Zou said, “The situation has been one giant misunderstanding. My client, who lives with his wife and children, has recently been the target of teens banging on his door for no reason. We have even shared home surveillance footage of the two incidents that occurred for proof of my client’s claims.”
“I think what happened yesterday was a total misunderstanding and a mistake. He and his family have been continuously terrorized recently, so he opened the door, reacted strongly, and told the person to get away from his property. By the time he realized it was a small child, he began to instantly regret his actions,” Zou added.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Wen was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and take anger management classes.
