A Hoboken man was charged with pretending to have a gun when encountering three men in a parking garage, later doing the same thing when approached by police, authorities said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Harrison Vargas, 31, of West New York, was charged with making terroristic threats, aggravated assault, and obstructing the administration of law, according to Police Det. Lt. Danilo Cabrera.
On Friday at approximately 7:47 p.m., a group of three men reported that they were walking into a parking garage in the area of 700 1st St. when Vargas approached them from behind and began to yell at them.
They alleged that Vargas threatened to shoot them and acted if he had a gun by using his hand to imitate a firearm. Vargas then approached one of the victims and struck him with his forearm before fleeing northbound on Harrison Street.
A short time later, Police Officers Nicholas Protopapadakis and Marc Lombardi observed Vargas in the area of 4th and Harrison Streets and attempted to stop him. Vargas was given several verbal commands to stop, but he did not comply and ran.
The officers pursued Vargas on foot and while in the area of Jackson Street between 4th and 5th Streets, Vargas came to a stop.
He then reached into his jacket pocket and aggressively turned around in the officer’s direction with his arms extended and his hands positioned as if he was holding a firearm.
Officers took cover behind a vehicle and after realizing he had no gun, instead simply using his hand to imitate a gun, he was apprehended and arrested by Police Officers Anthony Rutkowski and Marvin Dejesus. Vargas was released on a summons, police said.
