A 24-year-old Indian national has been arrested in the United States after allegedly carrying out a violent attack on a toddler and her mother at a Texas park. The incident was described by officials as a “completely preventable” failure in immigration enforcement, reported the New York Post.
The attack reportedly took place on April 18 at Espada Park in San Antonio, where a family had gone for an afternoon outing. The child, identified as 3-year-old Amelia Perez, suffered severe facial injuries, including bite wounds and the loss of two teeth, after being attacked, her family told the publication.
Her mother, Gabriella Perez, said the assault unfolded suddenly when a man approached them in a “frenzied state” and first attacked her before targeting the child.
“That brute was ravaging my baby,” she told the New York Post, adding that the child has been left deeply traumatised.
Alleged attack described as ‘cannibal’ assault
According to the report, the suspect, identified as Atharva Vyas, allegedly pinned the child and bit her face during the assault while appearing to be under the influence of a potent cannabis concentrate known as “wax.”
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The publication quoted authorities and witnesses describing the incident in extreme terms, with officials alleging the attacker bit the child during the assault. Bystanders intervened, pulling the man off the child before restraining him until police arrived.
Emergency services later transported the injured child and her family to hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.
Immigration history and prior arrest
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Vyas had entered the US in August 2023 on a student visa. He was arrested months later in a separate assault case while studying in Texas.
According to DHS, immigration authorities at the time did not revoke his visa, as the offence was not considered severe enough under then-existing criteria. His visa was later revoked in April 2025, the agency said.
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On the day of the alleged attack, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly lodged a detainer request seeking custody after local proceedings.
DHS calls attack ‘preventable’
DHS officials criticised the earlier handling of the suspect’s case, calling the incident avoidable.
“This barbaric assault against this woman and her 3-year-old child in a park was completely preventable,” an Acting Assistant Secretary was quoted as saying by the New York Post, adding that the suspect should not have remained in the country after his earlier arrest.
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