May 14--A West Town man is accused of choking an 8-year-old girl until she passed out inside a bathroom of a restaurant in the South Loop neighborhood last weekend.
The girl was inside Jason's Deli in the 1200 block of South Canal Street with her mother around 1:15 p.m. Saturday when the two became separated, according to police.
The girl went into the bathroom. At some point, Reese M. Hartstirn, 33, came into the bathroom and started choking the girl with his hands, causing her to become unconscious, according to the Chicago Police Department.
He then picked up the unconscious girl and carried her into a bathroom stall, closing the door so she couldn't leave, according to the release. Hartstirn pushed the girl's mother when she came into the stall to rescue her daughter, police said.
The girl was taken to Comer Children's Hospital for treatment. Her condition was not immediately available, according to police.
People inside the deli held Hartstirn for police after they were alerted to what happened.
Officers took him to the First District police station, according to the release. While there, Hartstirn became aggressive and swung his fist at an officer, according to police.
Hartstirn, of the 500 block of North Racine Avenue, was charged with a felony count of aggravated kidnapping and a felony count of aggravated battery to a child under 13, according to the release.
He also was cited with a misdemeanor count of aggravated assault to a peace officer and a misdemeanor count of battery.
Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois ordered Hartstirn held without bail Monday, according to court records. He is scheduled to appear in court May 16.
