Nassau police: Man arrested after trying to enter wrong home
Neighbors say the incident was unsettling in a community they consider quiet and safe.
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Police say an intoxicated man who was dropped off at the wrong address tried to enter a Garden City South home late Sunday night, prompting the homeowner to fire two warning shots into the ground.
Nassau County police say 32-year-old Christian Coronel, of Yale Street in Hempstead, was dropped off by a car service driver at the wrong house on Yale Road shortly before midnight.
Police say Coronel then attempted to enter the back of the home owned by 34-year-old Thomas Morganthaler.
Police say Morganthaler confronted Coronel with a handgun and fired two shots into the ground.
Coronel was arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
Morganthaler was also charged with reckless endangerment. His attorney, Brian Griffin, says his client is a licensed and registered handgun owner and pleaded not guilty Monday.
“When you have someone committing a felony trying to break into your home, that puts you and your family in grave danger and you have a right to defend yourself,” Griffin said.
Neighbors say the incident was unsettling in a community they consider quiet and safe. One resident told News 12 she saw about half a dozen police vehicles on the block late Sunday night and initially feared something serious had happened to her neighbor.
Residents say the incident has some homeowners reconsidering whether they should install security cameras despite it being a safe community.
