A 29-year-old man, Nathaniel Direnzo, of Saint Marks Place was accused of trying to strangle an 11-year-old girl in a Manhattan park. He was arrested on Saturday, October 23 morning for the bizarre, broad-daylight attack on the young girl and another minor on Wednesday, October 20 afternoon. He was charged with second-degree strangulation, two counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child, second-degree harassment, and two counts of assault. Direnzo was released on $7,500 bail on Saturday night.
According to police reports, the incident took place just around noon on October 20 when a group of kids arrived at Stuyvesant Square along Second Avenue between E 15th and E 17th Streets in the Gramercy Park district about midday during school recess and began throwing dirt and party snappers over a fence into the dog run. The fight reportedly escalated further when an adult supervisor of the kids was unable to calm the spiraling situation.
What happened at the park?
Nathaniel Direnzo approached the girl and her classmates and began to yell at them, before spraying water on the group and trying to attack them. "Grip her the f*** up before I put my hands on her, " Direnzo is reportedly said to have yelled at the adult supervisor. "You're a f*ing embarrassment. I can't believe they pay you to do this, " he added. "You fat little bi–h. You're not going to amount to anything in life, " Direnzo reportedly yelled at the little girl.
Nathaniel Direnzo allegedly strangled the little girl
According to reports, when the young girl tried to fight back Direnzo pulled the girl's hair, smacked her in the face, and "wrapped his hands around her neck" in an attempt to strangle her. The girl was rushed to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital as a result of her injuries. Direnzo also fought with a 15-year-old kid who was supporting the girl. The boy was treated for minor injuries on the scene by EMS.
