A woman walking her dog at Willow Pond Meadow told police a man threatened to beat her pooch with a tree branch.
The incident took place about 3:31 p.m. on Wednesday.
The woman told police she was walking her dog on the path by the Muddy River. She let the dog get a drink and splash in the water.
That's when she was approached by a bearded white man with partially braided hair, who was wearing a gray shirt, blue pants and gray shoes. The man told her it was against National Park rules to have the dog in the water — and that if she didn't get that dog out of the water, he'd hit the dog. (And yes, Olmsted Park is not a National Park.)
The woman reports the man got up, tree branch in hand, and started to come at her and her dog. She screamed for help, which prompted people nearby to call 911.
Police met the victim by the Brookline side of the Muddy River, then canvassed the area and found a man matching the description she gave. The woman identified him as the man she said threatened her and her dog.
Police arrested Panos Bazos, 39 Boylston St., Boston and charged him with assault by means of a dangerous weapon (tree branch.)