Man arrested for choking 8-year-old girl in Chicago restaurant bathroom

A man is being held by police for choking an eight-year-old girl unconscious in a restaurant bathroom in Chicago on Saturday, May 14.

The man, 33-year-old Reese Hartstirn, reportedly followed the girl inside the women's restroom at Jason's Deli in South Loop.

Police said the girl and her mother were both inside the restroom but were using separate cubicles. The man saw them while they were entering the bathroom and went in, intentionally targeting the girl. He choked the girl until she lost consciousness, according to reports.

When the girl's mother heard her scream, she hurried toward her and saw the man carrying her unconscious daughter. He apparently tried to lock the door of the stall to keep the girl's mother out.

The people in the restaurant helped and held the man down until police arrived. The girl, on the other hand, was rushed to Comer Children's Hospital.

Hartstirn was arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a child, aggravated kidnapping, battery causing bodily harm and aggravated assault of a police officer. He was detained at the Central District station without bond.

The restaurant management praised the quick action of the police and thanked the customers who helped contain the situation.

Meanwhile, some customers have varying reactions to the incident. One of them said she was saddened about what happened to the girl.

"I don't get why people do things like this. I really wish I could understand it, but I don't," she said.

Another customer expressed concern over the safety of children.

"This is at a restaurant," the customer said. "You want your kid to be able to go to a bathroom in a restaurant and feel safe and not be scared."

She added that with people like Hartstirn roaming around, "You got to wonder what you can do to make it better."

The incident raised concerns about the safety of children in light of the federal government's recent directive that public schools provide an environment for transgender students that is "supportive and nondiscriminatory."

In Chicago, the Commission on Human Relations has issued an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against gender identity.