Two Toddler Girls, 7 and 8, Attacked, Pepper-Sprayed By Man With Psychiatric Issues

Two toddler girls were reportedly attacked and pepper-sprayed in the face by a man with alleged psychiatric issues while they were playing in Harlem on Wednesday, Aug. 17.

The unnamed victims, a 7-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl, were reportedly playing in front of a building on Amsterdam Avenue near W. 126th St on Wednesday, Aug. 17, when the 26-year-old suspect, Christian Garcia, allegedly attacked them without any provocation and maced the children in their face and neck, Daily News reported.

After pepper-spraying the children, Garcia quickly ran from the scene. However, he was nabbed a short time later, several blocks away, near W. 125th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. The pepper spray used in the attack was allegedly found in his left pocket. He has been arrested and charged with assault, harassment, possession of a noxious substance, and acting in a manner injurious to a child.

The 8-year-old victim, who was pepper-sprayed in the face and neck area, suffered pain, burning, and eye irritation and had to be transported to Mount Sinai Morningside for immediate treatment. Meanwhile, the 7-year-old girl was treated on the scene and was not hospitalized for her minor injuries, New York Post reported.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Garcia has a history of psychiatric issues and at least ten prior arrests. He also has one prior unsealed arrest, for aggravated harassment in March after being accused of threatening someone over the phone.

Garcia was arraigned in court on Thursday, Aug 18, where Judge Eric Schumacher granted him supervised release and issued full temporary orders of protection for both young victims. Garcia is set to return to court on Sept. 20.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a man allegedly smeared his own feces on a woman's face in an unprovoked New York subway attack in February earlier this year, Latin Times reported.

Frank Abrokwa, 37, was arrested on Feb. 28 for smearing his feces on a woman at a Bronx train station a week before he was finally taken into custody. On Feb. 21, he was hitting on the victim at the Wakefield-241st St. No. 2 train station and begged her to pay attention to him.

However, when she ignored him, he ducked her into an idling subway car paused at the station, and defecated into a bag. He then came back to where she was sitting and smeared his excrement on her face, head, nose, mouth, and eyes.