Town of Wallkill man arrested after threatening another with screwdriver

Rafael Horacio Arias, 40, of the Town of Wallkill, was arrested after police said he displayed an orange-handled screwdriver during a dispute at 327 East Main Street in Wallkill, prompting a response around 5 p.m. Monday, April 13. Wallkill Police were joined by New York State Police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and one account said City of Middletown police also helped after the call was first described as a possible weapon incident before officers later said no firearm was involved.

Police said Arias fled after the confrontation. Officers later searched his home and recovered the screwdriver, then charged him with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, second-degree menacing, attempted criminal mischief and second-degree harassment. He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Town of Wallkill Court.

Second-degree menacing in New York applies when someone intentionally places, or tries to place, another person in fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death by displaying a weapon or dangerous instrument. Criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree includes possessing a dangerous or deadly instrument with intent to use it unlawfully against another, and both offenses are class A misdemeanors. Under state sentencing law, a class A misdemeanor can bring up to 364 days in jail.

The arrest update focused on the April 13 dispute and the charges that followed, not on any earlier Wallkill case history. No injuries were reported, but the episode showed how quickly an ordinary tool can turn into the basis for weapon charges when a face-to-face argument escalates and police have to respond as if a deadly threat might be unfolding.