A postal worker from Temple City accused of choking an 11-year-old girl who laughed at him for entering the woman’s bathroom by mistake at a Commerce park denied charges against him in court Wednesday, authorities said.
Daniel Villasenor, 55, was jailed shortly after Monday’s 6:20 p.m. incident at Bristow Park, 1466 South McDonnell Ave. in Commerce, according to Deputy Aura Sierra-Lidman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau.
Prosecutors Wednesday filed charges of cruelty to a child and assault on park property, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials.
He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment and was ordered back to East Los Angeles Superior Court March 5 for a pre-trial conference, court officials said.
While in uniform and driving a U.S. Postal Service vehicle, Villasenor arrived at the park and asked directions to the bathroom, Sgt. Dan Scott of the Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau said.
Villasenor entered the women’s bathroom, apparently by mistake, the sergeant said. When he emerged, the 11-year-old victim and another girl she was with made fun of Villasenor and laughed at him for going into the wrong restroom.
After briefly visiting the men’s room, Villasenor exited and attacked the young girl, Scott said.
“He allegedly chased the girl, who ran into the women’s restroom, and began choking her inside a supply room adjacent to the restroom before two city workers told him to stop,” Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
He then got back into the postal truck and left the park, but was found and stopped a short time later by sheriff’s deputies in East Los Angeles, officials said.
“I don’t know if he was on-duty or off-duty, but he still had his postal uniform and postal vehicle,” Scott said.
The alleged attack was captured on video by a park surveillance camera, however investigators Wednesday declined to release the footage to the public.
Villasenor was being held in lieu of $15,000, officials said.
If convicted as charged, Villasenor faces up to a year in county jail.