Parent Reacts To Young Girl Assaulted In OKC Gas Station Bathroom

A homeless man is behind bars, accused of hiding out and attacking an 8-year-old girl inside a convenience store bathroom. The mother was feet away, outside the bathroom at the Circle K, near I-40 and Meridian when it happened.

According to the police report, it was Sunday night around 8 o'clock that police got a call that an 8-year-old girl and her family pulled into the Circle K at 501 S. Meridian to get some gas and use the restroom. But what reportedly happened inside will have every parent afraid to let their child use the restroom alone.

Police arrested 40-year-old Christopher Gard. He's accused of attacking that 8-year-old girl inside the Circle K bathroom. Gard is a local homeless guy, who was known to hang out in this homeless hamlet of sorts, right behind the Circle K convenience store.

9/16/2013 Related Story: Homeless Man Wearing Women's Panties Accused Of Assaulting Young Girl In OKC

"It's pretty shocking, very shocking," said Amber Goolsby, a parent who is just passing through. Goolsby has a 10-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son and says after hearing this, she won't be letting them go to the bathroom by themselves anymore.

"Yeah I'm shocked I'm even afraid to go to the bathroom alone now," she said.

Circle K declined to comment about the attack. But here's what police say happened.

"He was in the bathroom when she walked in," said Msgt. Gary Knight with the OCPD. "He got between her and the door and wrapped a brown coat or a brown jacket around her neck and began choking her."

Not only that, but police say when that little girl screamed for help, her mother, who was just outside the door, could not get in, because the door was locked. A Circle K employee was able to get a key and unlocked the door. And when they did, the little girl ran out, and the police report states witnesses encountered Gard dressed in nothing but red women's underwear and holding a BB gun.

"The suspect was able to get away and flee, only to be caught by witnesses again and held there for police to arrive," confirmed Msgt. Knight.

Now, Gard is being held on $66,000 bond, and faces multiple charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault and indecent exhibition.

Despite this horrifying ordeal, the little girl did manage to escape before she was hurt even more. She did show police some red marks around her neck, but other than that, she is okay.