A Putnam Valley man is accused of impersonating a police officer and assaulting a teenage girl. It allegedly happened Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of the Shrub Oak Shopping Center.

Yorktown police say a 42-year-old man named Charles Santiago pulled his car out in front of a 16-year-old girl who was walking. Police allege Santiago got out of the car, said he was with law enforcement and had a police type badge around his neck.

A short time later, police say he shoved the teenage girl, pulled her phone out of her hands and threw her to the ground.

Some people who were nearby intervened and Santiago was arrested, according to officials.

"To hear something like that is happening is very odd," says Yorktown resident Philip Scaramella.

People who frequently come to the area tell News 12 they are truly shocked.

"This is the first time I've heard something like that and I hope it's the last time," says Yorktown resident Robert Ballesteros.

The teenage girl was treated and released from a nearby hospital, according to police.

Santiago faces a handful of charges, including assault, robbery and criminal impersonation of a police officer.

He is due back in court on March 20.