A man allegedly threatened a woman who wanted the money she was owed by pouring a flammable liquid on her vehicle and pulling out a realistic-looking handgun.
The incident happened on Brooklyn Avenue in Batavia around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and put the nearby Business Agri Child Development Center on lockdown.
Officers were called to the scene after reports that a woman was refusing to leave a home. After that report, more information came in that 37-year-old Thomas Culver was threatening to light a vehicle on fire and may have a weapon. After setting up a perimeter, nearby residents were evacuated one at a time.
When officers checked Culver’s home, they say they determined Culver had a disagreement with Raquel Duval, 27, of Rochester over a debt. While Duval was trying to get Culver to pay the debt, police say Culver pulled out a realistic-looking handgun, which turned out to be a BB gun, and poured a flammable liquid on Duval’s car.
Police say Culver threatened to burn Duval and her car because she would not leave his home without her money. He also allegedly pulled out the BB gun in an effort to get her to leave.
Culver is charged with two counts of second degree menacing and one count of second degree reckless endangerment, while Duval is charged with second degree criminal trespass.
The lockdown at the child development center was lifted.
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