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Man Terrorizes Teen Girls by Pointing Fake Gun at Them, Police Say

By Lisha Arino | June 5, 2014 11:20am
 Police said Nicholas Decourcelles, 46, used a similar Zoraki 9mm gun to shoot blanks, frightening a group of teen girls, on May 31.
Police said Nicholas Decourcelles, 46, used a similar Zoraki 9mm gun to shoot blanks, frightening a group of teen girls, on May 31.
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Zoraki

WEST VILLAGE — A man pointed a fake gun at a group of terrified teen girls in the Village last week — and then fired a blank into the air as they ran away screaming, police and prosecutors said.

Nicholas Decourcelles, 46, got into an argument with the girls on West 11th Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue South at about 11:30 p.m. on May 31, according to police and a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

He then pulled out a Zoraki 9mm pistol, which only fires blanks, and shot a round up into the air while yelling at the girls, who fled, according to the complaint.

Police tracked down Decourcelles at his apartment and found the gun inside his dishwasher, prosecutors said. Police also recovered an air pistol from his room.

Decourcelles was charged with menacing, possession of an imitation pistol and possessing or selling air pistols and rifles.

His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

Other notable incidents in the 6th precinct include:

► A man was caught pretending to be a police officer in the Village last week, police said.

Police spotted Leonaldo Garcia, 40, with a fake police badge and a handcuff case on his waistband on Bleecker Street near Carmine Street about 8:45 p.m. May 31, the NYPD said.

Garcia initially told the police he was an NYPD officer but admitted he was not after he was asked for identification, police said.

He was charged with criminal impersonation, according to court records. Information regarding his attorney was not immediately available.

► A thief returned a wallet that he had stolen in a Village bar last week — but not before going shopping using the victim's debit card, police said.

The 39-year-old victim spotted Francisco Martinez, 48, reaching into his bag inside the Hangar Bar at 115 Christopher St. about 10 p.m. May 29 and told Martinez to take his hand out of the bag, police said.

Martinez responded by grabbing the bag and trying to get the victim to go outside with him, but when the victim refused, Martinez dropped the bag and fled, police said.

After Martinez left, the victim discovered that his Prada leather wallet, credit and debit cards and $45 in cash were missing from the bag.

Later that night, at about 1:35 a.m., Martinez returned to the bar and gave the wallet and a Chase debit card back to the victim, police said. Upon canceling his cards, the victim discovered that Martinez had made two purchases on the card, police said.

Martinez was arrested and charged with identity theft, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, according to court records.

Information regarding his attorney was not immediately available.

► A 52-year-old man was attacked while walking along 14th Street last week, police said.

The victim was on West 14th Street near Sixth Avenue at 2:45 p.m. May 30 when John Whittaker, 41, punched him in the back of the head, police said.

When the victim tried to defend himself, Whittaker pulled out a knife and slashed him on the right hand, police said.

Whittaker was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, according to court records.

Information regarding his attorney was not immediately available.