Man Impersonates A Cop, Assaults Girl At Shopping Center: Police

SHRUB OAK, NY — A Lakeland High School student was grabbing a slice after school at a nearby pizzeria when everything changed in an instant.

The Yorktown Police Department says that on Wednesday, around 2:20 p.m., officers responded to the Shrub Oak Shopping Center parking lot after receiving reports of a possible assault taking place.

Police say that 42-year-old Charles Santiago, of Putnam Valley, pulled his vehicle in front of the 16-year-old girl as she was walking, exited his vehicle wearing a "police-type badge" around his neck and verbally identified himself as law enforcement. It was later determined that he was not in fact in law enforcement, according to police.

Yorktown police say that Santiago then shoved the girl against the building, pulled her phone out of her hands as she was recording him, and threw her down onto the ground, resulting in injuries.

Two bystanders intervened and separated Santiago from the victim, according to police.

The girl's father told Patch that the attack left his daughter shaken, but that she will recover from her injuries — although the emotional damage will take longer to heal.

"She's going to be okay," he said. "But she's hurt, and she's scared. She can't understand how something like this could happen."

The concerned father said that more than anything, he wants his daughter to be safe, and wants to help make sure no other families have to go through an ordeal like this.

"It's scary," he said. "It's scary for me. It's scary for her. But you can't be with your kids around the clock."

Santiago was arrested at the scene and processed at police headquarters. Yorktown police say he was charged with felony second-degree robbery, felony first-degree criminal impersonation of a police officer, misdemeanor second-degree reckless endangerment, misdemeanor acting in a manner injurious to a child, and misdemeanor third-degree assault.

Santaiago was arraigned and the judge issued a Temporary Order of Protection protecting the victim. He is due back in court on March 20.

The concerned parent expressed gratitude to those who helped protect his daughter when she needed it most.

And that, he said, might be the only silver lining in this story.

"It was a teacher, who happened to be there, who stepped in to help get him away from her," the father said. "Yorktown police were there almost immediately. I can't say enough about the department... Even though the incident happened off school grounds, the principal and assistant principal were already at the scene by the time I got there. This was an awful situation, but this community made me proud — proud and grateful."