A Texas man has been arrested for assault after a child tipped off a school bus driver by passing him a note asking for help, authorities say.
The girl made the plea for help and provided an address to a bus driver in Odessa, west Texas, on Tuesday morning, according to local news site KPEJ.
Hours later, officers from the Odessa Police Department arrived at the house to find David Amado Gonzales, 38, and the girl’s mother sitting on the porch.
As the police approached, the pair retreated inside the house and refused to open the door for several minutes, authorities said.
The woman eventually told police that Mr Gonzales had come home intoxicated at 1am that morning and pulled her hair and punched her several times, KPEJ reported.
He allegedly bit her forehead and held a switchblade to her neck, leaving her with a cut behind the ear, according to police.
Police said the woman had bruises and cuts to her face consistent with the assault she had described.
Mr Gonzales was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon and parole violation. He is being held at the Ector County Law Enforcement Center on a bond of $50,000.
