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Texas Park Attack Injures Toddler as ICE Files Detainer for Suspect

The case is fueling questions over how local prosecutions interact with federal immigration custody.

Overview

  • San Antonio police say a man attacked a mother at Espada Park on April 18 and bit her 3-year-old daughter’s face, knocking out two teeth.
  • Authorities identified the suspect as 24-year-old Atharva Vyas, who remains in Bexar County custody on charges of injury to a child, assault causing bodily injury, and illegal entry.
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed a detainer that asks local officials to transfer Vyas to federal custody after his local case, which is an administrative request rather than an automatic deportation.
  • The Department of Homeland Security says Vyas entered on a student visa in August 2023, was arrested months later on a University of Texas campus assault, and had his F-1 visa revoked in April 2025.
  • Investigators have not found a motive, and authorities say Vyas may have used a high-THC “wax” concentrate as the child continues medical care and trauma recovery.