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PELHAM, N.Y. Pelham police arrested an attendant at the Getty gas station on E. Lincoln Avenue last Friday after he punched the mirror on a customer's car during a dispute about money.
A man told police he pulled into the station at about 6:05 p.m. and asked the attendant, Vedat Yildiz of 1905 Andrews Avenue in the Bronx, for $20 of gas. He said Yildiz pumped the gas, handed him a receipt and then asked for $40.
The man told police that when he told Yildiz that he only asked for half that amount, Yildiz replied, "You are going to give me $40 or you will see what I'm going to do to you." The man then felt threatened and said he was going to call the police.
The victim told officers that Yildiz said he does not care about the police. He said the attendant then grabbed the passenger side window, which was rolled down about halfway, and started shaking the car. The man rolled up the window and Yildiz punched the passenger side mirror.
The man then called 911. Pelham police soon arrived and the man said he wanted to press charges. Police spoke to a witness who was buying gas at the same time. He said he saw the entire incident and told police that the victim never got out of his car.
Police interviewed Yildiz, who said that the man asked for $40 of gas, refused to pay and tried to drive away. He admitted that he grabbed the window of the car but told police he did so to stop the man from leaving. Yildiz did not injure his hand when he punched the window.
Police checked and found that neither man had any outstanding warrants. Officers arrested Yildiz for criminal mischief and took him to police headquarters. Police took a statement from the victim and read Yildiz his Miranda rights twice, but he said that he did not understand them. He signed a document which said that police read the rights to him, according to the police report.
Police did not get a statement from Yildiz because he said he does not understand English. Police released him on $700 bail. He was due in court on Thursday at 6 p.m.
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Contact Pelham reporter Andrew Meola at ameola@thedailypelham.com.
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