Warren store employee charged with menacing customer with gun

Staff report

WARREN

North End Market employee Jasbir Singh, 32, of Howland pleaded not guilty Monday in Warren Municipal Court to misdemeanor aggravated menacing, accused of brandishing a handgun while talking to a customer who tried to return an item Friday night.

Singh was released from the Trumbull County jail Monday after posting a $2,500 personal recognizance bond, meaning he didn’t have to pay anything.

A woman, 24, said she tried to return an electronic vape pen because it did not work.

She said Singh refused to return her money or exchange it, so she started to yell. She said Singh pulled a handgun from behind the counter and pointed it at her about 9 p.m.

When police arrived at the store, 1645 N. Park Ave., Singh told police the store does not accept returns and pointed to a handwritten sign addressing the policy. He denied having a gun.

When the store owner, Labh Singh, arrived, he opened the store safe and an officer retrieved a loaded gun from it. Police asked to see the store security video, but the owner said he didn’t have the keys to get in the office.

An officer found the keys in the safe, and the owner played the video showing the employee pulling out the gun from beside the cash register and moving his hand with the gun toward the woman, then shaking the gun in the air to show the woman he had a gun, police said.

He also walked from behind the counter with the gun and held it behind his leg while talking to the woman, police said.