SAN ANTONIO – A man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman and her 3-year-old daughter at a South Side park over the weekend, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
Officers responded to the scene just before 3 p.m. Saturday at Espada Park, located in the 1700 block of Southeast Military Drive.
When SAPD arrived, officers found Atharva Vyas, 24, being restrained by a bystander who had witnessed the alleged assault. The witness did not know Vyas or the victims.
Gabriella Perez, 27, told KSAT she and her family were fishing at the park when the random attack happened. She said Vyas was a total stranger.
Perez said Vyas appeared out of the woods and began punching her and grabbing her by the hair, causing her to drop her daughter.
The SAPD preliminary report also states Vyas pulled Perez’s hair as she walked away with the child. Perez fell to the ground, police said, dropping her daughter.
“He tried poking at (her) eyes with his thumb,” Perez said. “He hit me. He was a big man. I just remember laying there and looking for (her daughter) and I just see him on top trying to do the thumb.”
Perez said Vyas began biting her daughter’s face. She said it was like a scene out of a horror movie.
“I think when everyone was there, I got up and was like this is like a f------ zombie movie. Like what the heck,” Perez said.
Police said the child suffered serious bodily injury. The report states that Perez and the child were evaluated for their injuries.
SAPD did not mention drug use in the preliminary report. However, Perez said someone Vyas was with did mention partaking in drugs.
“One of the persons that he came with bought some wax off of a California website, and it said it was legal here in Texas,” Perez remembered.
SAPD said witnesses restrained Vyas until officers arrived.
“They did such a selfless thing, and it still helped us, me and my child,” Perez said. “I was kind of freaking out and then finally they came ... I wanna say they came right when he was back on top of me. The guy was still attacking me, but they were helping me.”
Vyas was arrested and charged with injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury, assault causing bodily injury and illegal entry from a foreign nation.
On April 18, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer requesting the city turn Vyas over to ICE.
It is unknown what led up to the physical assault, SAPD said. The investigation is ongoing.
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