Evil stranger commits horrific act of violence against girl, 8, for being in his way, cops say
A vile attacker smashed a beer bottle over the head of an innocent 8-year-old girl and slashed her in the neck for being 'in his way' at a New Mexico restaurant, authorities said.
Nichalas San Souci, 24, bashed the girl as she waited to eat with her family at the pizzeria Saggio's in Albuquerque on the night of April 25, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office.
He then slashed her neck during the cruel outburst, leaving the girl with bloody lacerations that required 19 stitches.
The jarring attack occurred while the little girl was with her mother admiring a fountain in the restaurant, according to the criminal complaint.
The mother told police that she heard her daughter scream and turned around to see San Souci holding her by her throat.
A patron waiting for his food intervened and 'slammed his tray of food' over San Souci's head, the complaint read.
The girl's father, Britton Rose, told KOAT that he was waiting for a table while his wife was with their daughter.
'That's when I heard my wife from across the restaurant yelling, "No, no, stop,"' he recalled.
Rose ran to his family's aid, and when he asked San Souci why he attacked his little girl, the attacker replied, 'She got in my way.'
The child's father and a second patron then 'punched and kicked' San Souci, according to the complaint.
Rose said that his daughter did nothing to provoke the man and that she was 'extremely lucky' to survive.
'Major arteries were missed,' he told KOAT.
An intensive care nurse and a paramedic were at the restaurant at the time and assisted the girl until emergency responders arrived.
She is expected to make a full recovery.
Officers found San Souci outside of the restaurant with a knife after the attack.
He was charged with child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
San Souci was also charged with aggravated assault of a deadly weapon for attacking the girl's father with a pocket knife, according to the indictment.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his first court appearance on Monday.
Rose told KOAT that he felt angry when reacting to his child's attacker in court.
'But at the same time, I'm happy he's being held behind bars. The DA has made it clear they're taking the case very seriously,' Rose said, adding that he believed San Souci tried to kill his daughter.
'We're extremely lucky our daughter wasn't hurt worse - or even killed,' Rose told KOAT.
San Souci is still awaiting a criminal trial. Child abuse is a first degree felony with a basic sentence of 18 years and a $15,000 fine.
Aggravated battery convictions can result in at least three years of jail time, while aggravated assault has a basic sentence of 18 months.
If San Souci is found guilty on all the charges, he could serve up to 25 years in prison, legal expert John Day told KOAT.
An Instagram account for San Souci has his occupation listed as an artist.
He linked to a Spotify account where his artist bio reads, 'San Souci raps about the problems of the world to the metronome of his pounding hangover.'
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