With six stitches throughout his cheek, Richard Catrone’s face was nonetheless bloodied and bandaged when he spoke to NBC New York. The 67-year-old is in ache, however grateful he was no more critically harm when his neighbor fired a flare gun in his face.
The assault was captured on dwelling safety video. It reveals Catrone strolling his canine on a leash outdoors his condominium when 76-year-old Kathleen Schuman comes out of her condominium, just a few doorways down. Seconds later she fires the flare gun, hitting him within the face. The flare could be seen bouncing off his cheek as he holds his face in ache, shocked by what simply occurred.
“My next inclination was to get the gun and I knocked it out of her hand and she went to get it and I wanted to protect my dog I wanted to protect myself,” recalled Catrone. “Kathleen showed no emotion. She claimed I was the devil that I tried to murder her. She said ‘I’m sorry I missed, sorry I missed.'”
Police arrested Schuman and charged her with assault. When NBC New York spoke to Catrone, his blood was nonetheless on the walkway in entrance of their flats.
Neighbors of the 2 residents say the 2 have a longstanding feud, stemming from their pets. Schuman has a home cat and Catrone has a canine.
“He started harassing her because he said her cat was always upsetting his dog and she would sit outside with it,” defined neighbor Mary Neitzel. “She actually moved out to live with her sister for a few months. She just moved back a week ago and he just keeps bothering her.”
“I just asked her can you keep the cat inside and that started the situation,” stated Catrone. He says he has made complaints to the administration firm.
A spokesman for Belmont Villas, the group they reside in instructed NBC New York in an announcement, “This was an isolated incident between individuals and unrelated to the community itself. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they handle the matter. The safety and well-being of our residents remain our top priority.”
In courtroom, Schuman pleaded not responsible. She has to steer clear of Catrone as a part of her launch. The choose allowed her to return to the condominium one time with an officer to retrieve her belongings and her lawyer instructed the choose she would dwell briefly with a relative.
“I’ve lived in Manhattan. I’ve lived in San Francisco. I’ve lived in Boston and nothing ever happened to me,” stated Catrone. “I moved to Suffolk County a senior community, and my neighbor shoots me in the face with a flare.”
