A 24-year-old Indian national is facing serious charges in Texas after authorities say he violently attacked a mother and her young child at a public park, an incident that has triggered renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement and public safety concerns.
According to local police in San Antonio, the alleged assault took place on April 18 at Espada Park. Investigators say Atharva Vyas attacked 27-year-old Gabriella Perez while she was at the park with her three-year-old daughter.
Law enforcement officials allege that Vyas grabbed Perez by the hair, forcing her to the ground and causing her to drop the child. While Perez was down, he is accused of turning his attention to the toddler, biting her and inflicting serious injuries. Authorities say the child suffered facial wounds and lost two teeth during the attack. A bystander intervened and restrained the suspect until officers arrived and took him into custody.
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The case gained national attention after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shared details on social media. In a statement posted on X, the agency said, “Atharva Vyas, a 24-year-old Indian illegal alien, allegedly violently assaulted a mother named Gabriella Perez and her three-year-old daughter in a San Antonio park April 18. Vyas allegedly even bit the toddler and knocked out two of her teeth.”
ICE added that it has placed a detainer request with local authorities, stating it is asking law enforcement to transfer Vyas into federal custody “instead of releasing him into the community after he’s faced justice for his alleged crimes.”
Federal officials also outlined Vyas’s immigration history. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he entered the United States in August 2023 on an F-1 student visa. Within months, he was arrested in connection with a felony assault case on a university campus. Campus police alerted federal immigration authorities at the time. However, officials say no immediate enforcement action was taken then.
Authorities now say that visa has since been revoked following the latest allegations.
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The case comes amid a broader pattern of fraud and criminal investigations involving some foreign nationals on temporary visas. In a separate case, an Indian national identified as Chagamreddy was recently arrested in connection with a multi-state gold scam targeting elderly Americans.
Investigators say he coordinated with accomplices, traveled across state lines to collect gold from victims, and shared real-time updates with co-conspirators during the operation.
Following his arrest, Chagamreddy told authorities he had been in the United States on a student visa and faced potential deportation after being suspended from school.
Back in Texas, Vyas remains in local custody as the criminal case moves forward. Immigration officials have made clear they intend to take him into federal custody once the judicial process concludes, signaling a likely deportation proceeding if the allegations are upheld in court.