A 24-year-old Indian citizen has been arrested in the United States for allegedly violently assaulting a man. toddler with her mother Texas garden. Officials described the incident as a “totally avoidable” failure in immigration enforcement, the New York Post reported.
The attack reportedly occurred on April 18 at Espada Park in San Antonio, where the family was having an afternoon outing. The child, identified as 3-year-old Amelia Perez, suffered serious facial injuries after the attack, including bite wounds and the loss of two teeth, her family told the publication.
Her mother, Gabriella Perez, said the attack happened suddenly when a man approached them in a “frenzied state” and attacked her before targeting the child.
“That beast was ravaging my child,” she told the New York Post, adding that the child was deeply traumatized.
Alleged attack described as ‘cannibalistic’ attack
According to reports, the suspect, Atharva Vyas, allegedly held the child down and bit her face during the attack while appearing to be under the influence of a potent cannabis concentrate known as “wax.”
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The publication described the incident in extreme terms, citing authorities and witnesses, with officials saying the attacker bit the child during the attack. Bystanders intervened, pulled the man away from the child and restrained him until police arrived.
Emergency services rushed the injured child and her family to hospital, where she was treated.
Immigration history and previous arrests
this Department of Homeland Security (Department of Homeland Security) said Vyas entered the United States on a student visa in August 2023. Months later, he was arrested in connection with another assault while studying in Texas.
Immigration authorities did not revoke his visa at the time because the crime was not considered serious enough by standards at the time, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 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 filed a detention request seeking detention following local proceedings.
Homeland Security says attack ‘preventable’
Homeland Security officials criticized the early handling of the suspect’s case, saying the incident was avoidable.
The New York Post quoted the acting assistant secretary of state as saying: “The brutal attack on this woman and her 3-year-old child in the park was entirely avoidable.” He added that the suspect should not have remained in the country after his earlier arrest.
