Photo courtesy of CBS News.
Nathaniel Direnzo was arrested for attacking and strangling an 11-year-old girl in New York as she was hanging out with her classmates near a dog park.
The incident occurred on Oct. 20 in Manhattan near Stuyvesant Square. Direnzo allegedly threw water on the kids as he yelled at them for throwing poppers at the dogs. Another woman was yelling at the kids, “How dare you,” as one student replied
, “F**k you, Karen.”At one point, Direnzo called the young girl a “b***h.”
The teacher escorting the girl’s class attempted to deescalate the situation, and the students were leaving, but Direnzo failed to act like an adult and kept taunting the pre-teens and teenagers.
“You fat little b***h. You’re not going to amount to anything in life,” he yelled.
The girl entered the dog park, where the 29-year-old Direnzo jumped her. He then reportedly punched her in the face, grabbed her by the hair and began to strangle her. He is also accused of beating another boy who jumped in to help the young girl.
People inside the dog park also tried to intervene, and the man fled from the location. The 11-year-old girl was hospitalized for strangulation at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in NYC and is stable condition. The 15-year-old boy who intervened was treated for minor injuries on the scene.
Defenders of Direnzo said that he was defending the dogs at the park from the kids throwing poppers at them as if it were justification for strangling an 11-year-old girl. Journalist Tariq Nasheed reported that Direnzo worked for a nonprofit for traumatized children.
Witnesses said that they had seen Direnzo be abusive with his dog at the park on previous occasions. He was arrested several days after the attack. Direnzo was charged with second-degree strangulation and two counts of assault. Direnzo was also charged with second-degree harassment and two counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child.
Direnzo and his man-bun were released on a $7,500 bond.