NIAGARA FALLS – A 16th Street woman said a cat belonging to a neighbor in her apartment building ran into her apartment, but when she confronted the cat’s owner he threatened her with a gun at 5:20 p.m. Sunday.
Nicholas J. Soto, 29, of 16th Street was charged with second-degree menacing. He told police he has a BB gun that looks like a handgun, but asserts that it was packed away and he did not use it to threaten his neighbor. He told police he did not even know where it was. A cursory search by police did not locate a gun.
The 48-year-old victim said the suspect pointed the gun at her after she told Soto to get his cat out of her apartment. She said after the argument he ran upstairs and got a handgun. He then stood a few feet away, threatening to “bust a cap,” according to the victim.
A neighbor in another apartment confirmed that he had heard the same statement, but did not come out of his apartment, did not know who was speaking and didn’t see a gun.