LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — Michael Wen, the Long Island man arrested for pointing a gun at a child after they mistakenly left Halloween candy at his home, was asked to consider a plea deal in the case Monday.
Inside Nassau District Court, the 43-year-old contemplated taking a plea on menacing charges and endangering the welfare of a child regarding the incident that got national attention.
It was the weekend before Halloween.
Wen allegedly waved his black handgun toward the 6-year-old boy’s head after the child mistakenly dropped off a Halloween goody bag on the front porch of Wen’s exclusive Manhasset home.
“He’s under a lot of stress right now. So we’re just hoping people give him his space and allow this to work out through the criminal justice system, which is what’s happening right now,” said Wen’s defense attorney Edward Carrasco.
According to the criminal complaint, the boy returned to Wen’s home to retrieve the candy after realizing he’d gone to the wrong address. Wen opened the door, pointed the gun and started screaming as the boy’s mom and siblings waited in the car.
Wen’s attorneys told the judge he, his wife and children had been repeatedly targeted at night by trespassers knocking, banging and running away.
Wen’s attorneys provided surveillance video of what they called “ghosting” on previous nights.
Neighbors told us “ghosting” is not a reason for threating a child with a weapon.
“I’m shocked that someone would pull a gun in a situation like that on a little kid,” one person said.
“He should have called the police, and then say that somebody keeps harassing him, ringing his doorbell. But you don’t pull a gun on somebody,” said another.
All of Wen’s guns were seized by authorities.
The district attorney recommended 30 days in jail and three years probation if Wen pleads guilty to the top charge.
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