Mailman Chokes Girl, 11, in Restroom Over Taunts

By Andrew Lu on February 11, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

An on-duty mailman allegedly choked a girl in a public park restroom. What would have prompted such a violent attack an 11-year-old girl?

Taunts, of course, according to sheriff's deputies.

The postal worker, 55-year-old Daniel Villasenor, reportedly wandered by accident into a women's restroom at a park in Commerce, California, outside Los Angeles. An 11-year-old girl was in the restroom and did what 11-year-olds do: She made fun of the postal worker, Los Angeles' KNBC-TV reports.

Then the postal worker allegedly went postal, choking the pre-teen who'd laughed at him. The girl escaped, and several witnesses corroborated her story, deputies said.

Villasenor is a 31-year veteran of the USPS. It was not reported if he's had any past incidents of violent encounters or assaults. He has been placed on unpaid leave by the post office and was also booked into jail. He faces one felony count of willful cruelty to a child.

As you may know, there are many laws that protect children from abuse. While these laws may have been written with the idea to protect children from abuse by their guardians or other caregivers, they can also be used against adults who seemingly lash out and choke children who aren't in their care.

In general, willful abuse against a child in California can include any situation in which:

  • A person willfully causes or permits any child to suffer;

  • A person inflicts unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering on a child; or

  • A custodian having the care or custody of the child willfully causes or permits the child's health to be endangered.

Villasenor's bail was set at $100,000, according to KNBC. Coworkers told the station he's never lashed out as he's alleged to have done in the park restroom incident.

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