Prospect area resident accused of menacing three victims, including two children, with AR style rifle

UTICA- The City Police Department has arrested and charged a local suspect for allegedly menacing three victims with a long gun, including two children.

Officers were dispatched shortly after 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday to the area of Albany Street and Kossuth Ave.

Dispatchers received reports of someone menacing a driver and two children with what appeared to be a long gun.

Police soon learned from the victim that the suspect had recently been spotted near Mary Street and Tilden Ave.

Officers found a vehicle that matched the description and detained a male subject.

The suspect has been identified as Justin Dawes, 36, of Prospect, NY. While on scene, police said they located an AR style rifle on the front seat, in plain view.

The firearm was secured, along with several boxes of ammunition and magazines.

Dawes has been formally charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, along with other counts of criminally possessing a weapon in the second and third-degrees, criminally possessing a firearm and menacing in the second-degree.

At press time, police said that Dawes was taken in to department headquarters.

There were no further details provided.

Utica City Police Department images.