In a terrifying ordeal, an 8-year-old girl was brutally attacked when she entered an Oklahoma City convenience store restroom.

Police say the girl and her family were driving through Oklahoma City when they stopped at a Circle K near I-40 and Meridian. The needed to use the restroom, so she was accompanied by her mother into the store. The girl entered the restroom as her mother waited just outside the door, but neither could anticipate what was about to happen.

According to reports, a homeless man wearing nothing but women's underwear was waiting inside the restroom when the girl entered. The girl says he got between her and the door and began choking her with a jacket. Her mother heard her screams but could not get in to help because the door was locked. The girl's family members got a key from an employee, and when they opened the door, the suspect tried to flee. He brandished a BB gun, but was apprehended by witnesses and held until police arrived.

The girl sustained red marks to her neck, but apparently suffered no other physical injuries in the assault

Police arrested 40-year-old Christopher Todd Gard on complaints of aggravated assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a felony, kidnapping and indecent exposure. Witnesses say Gard lived in a makeshift homeless camp behind the convenience store.

Gard is held on $66,000 bond, and if convicted, faces dozens of years in prison:

  • Aggravated assault and battery carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
  • Assault with a dangerous weapon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
  • Use of a firearm while committing a felony carries a minimum penalty of 2 years in prison and a maximum of 10 years on the first offense.
  • Kidnapping carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
  • Indecent exposure carries a minimum penalty of 30 days in jail and a maximum of 10 years in prison. Indecent exposure is a Level 1 sex offense that mandates sex offender registration for a period of 15 years following the completion of the sentence.

Most parents struggle with the issue of when to let their children use public restrooms unattended. Stories like this make the decision a challenging one. The issue first became a concern for many parents in 1998 when 9-year-old Matthew Cecchi was killed in a campground restroom as his aunt waited outside the door. Brandon Wilson, aged 20, was convicted of slitting the boy's throat and sentenced to death. He alternately blamed the attack on LSD, hearing the voice of God telling him to kill the boy, and insanity. Ultimately, however, he showed no remorse, even saying that he would do it all over again if given the chance.

Thirteen years to the week after killing Matthew Cecchi, Brandon Wilson hanged himself in his cell at San Quentin.