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Park ranger who caught pervert gets jerked around

Park ranger who caught pervert gets jerked around
Photo by Elizabeth Graham

A gutsy park ranger who captured a gun-slinging man masturbating in Prospect Park says he was reprimanded by the city for taking matters into his own hands.

Instead of saying “good job,” urban ranger Andrew Marsala’s Parks Department bosses scolded him for not immediately calling the cops, Marsala told the civil-service newspaper, The Chief on Monday.

“They don’t like it when we do enforcement,” he said. “They said, ‘Why didn’t you just call the police?’ I was like, ‘And let him get away?!’ ”

Earlier this month, Marsala spotted 53-year-old Glen Perouza from Queens pleasuring himself in broad daylight near the park’s Third Street playground, according to cops.

The fearless ranger — who was leading a children’s tour at the time — confronted the alleged pervert, who bolted into the woods.

Marsala chased Perouza down, grabbed him and held him until cops came. Officers say they discovered something even more disturbing: The creep was packing a loaded handgun and bag of weed.

After the whole ordeal, a city councilwoman recommended that Marsala be honored for the heroic act — but the Parks Department apparently doesn’t share the same admiration for its fearless staffer.

“No comment,” said an agency spokeswoman when asked about the daring woodsman’s award. She did not respond to questions about why he was reprimanded or what punishment he received.

All of which does not bode well with Marsala, who risked his life to keep Brooklyn’s backyard safe.

“All they had to do was say, ‘Good job,’ ” he said. “I would have been happy with that.”

Reach reporter Natalie O'Neill at [email protected] or by calling her at (718) 260-4505.

Urban Park Ranger Andrew Marsala said he was reprimanded by his superiors instead of praised after he caught a man masturbating in Prospect Park.
Photo by Andrew Hinderaker / The Chief-Leader