An elderly janitor was severely beaten by a naked high school student "under the influence," police said.
A 78-year-old Texas high school janitor was severely beaten by a naked student who was refused entry to a campus building, authorities said.
The 17-year-old was "under the influence," the Aldine Independent School District said in a statement.
Custodian Simon Galvez said he survived because he ultimately just went limp.
"He thought I was dead," Galvez told KTRK-TV.
"It was a monster that touched him, because he was so hurt," the man's sobbing wife, Martina Galvez, told the station.
The student was arrested and has been charged with assault of a public servant, according to the school district. He was handcuffed on campus by district police and transferred to the custody of the Harris County Sheriff's Office, a district spokesman told Inside Edition Digital.
Inside Edition Digital reached out Wednesday to the Harris County District Attorney's Office for more information on the case, including whether the teen had been charged as an adult, but has not heard back.
Galvez, who said he has worked as a district custodian for 20 years, said the unclothed student walked up to him and asked to be let into a school building. Galvez said he thought the teen needed help, and was about to summon others when the student asked for entry.
The janitor said he uttered one word: "No." And then the teen started attacking him, Galvez said.
"It was the only word exchanged," Galvez told the station. "I started to walk away, and then he grabbed me with one hand and started hitting me in the face with the other."
Galvez suffered cuts and bruises, a dislocated finger and a sprained ankle. When the teen put both hands around Galvez's throat and began choking him, Galvez said he collapsed.
"He came over to look at me on the ground, and he thought he'd done it. He thought I was dead," the janitor said.
In its statement, the school district said, "We want to commend the custodian for preventing the student from entering the school where he might have harmed others. We are grateful he will recover and offer our support."
The teen is a student at Eisenhower High School, the district said. He has not been identified.
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