‘Thought I was dead.’ Teen beats janitor who won’t let him into school, TX officials say

A Texas teenager is accused of attacking a high school janitor who refused to let him inside the building, officials say.

The custodian was outside of Eisenhower High School, in Houston, on Friday, Jan. 12, when a student approached and assaulted him, the Aldine Independent School District said in a news release.

Simon Galvez, 78, says the student was naked and demanding to be let into the school, but when he said no, the teen started throwing punches, then choking him, Galvez told KTRK.

All he could do was play dead, he said, and it worked.

“He came over to look at me on the ground, and he thought he’d done it,” Galvez told the station. “He thought I was dead.”

He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the student was arrested by the district’s police department, the school district said.

The student “was determined to be under the influence,” according to the district.

School officials applauded the janitor for not allowing the teen into the school “where he might have harmed others.”

“We are grateful he will recover and offer our support,” the district said.

The student is 17 years old, Harris County court records show.

He was arrested at 11:30 a.m. on the day of the alleged attack, and faces a charge of injury to elderly, according to court records. His bond was set at $5,000 and has been paid.

“Aldine ISD does not condone this sort of behavior and anyone who engages in this sort of behavior will face serious disciplinary consequences,” the school district said. “We take these situations very seriously as the safety and security of our students and staff will always be Aldine ISD’s top priority.”

Eisenhower High School is roughly 15 miles northwest of downtown Houston.

This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 12:18 PM with the headline "‘Thought I was dead.’ Teen beats janitor who won’t let him into school, TX officials say."