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FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- A Fairfield man was arrested on Monday, Dec. 1, on charges of assaulting a minor while in line at a local Stop & Shop in October.
Jason Perrotta, 44, of Fairway Green, physically abused a teenager on Oct. 18 when he put the teen in a headlock while online at the cash register, slamming the teen's head twice into the conveyor belt before chasing the teen with a large plastic food divider, police said.
Officers were tipped off about the incident by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families after the victim complained about headaches while at school on Oct. 22, police said. The school’s guidance counselor notified DCF after an examination proved the child had a minor concussion, police said.
When brought in for an interview with DCF, Perrotta told officials he did slam the teen's head into the conveyor belt because he believed the teen was acting out, police said.
However, when police interviewed Perrotta, he said they were just playing around and said he did not intend to hurt the teen, according to police.
An investigation by Fairfield Police uncovered surveillance footage of the checkout line, showing Perrotta putting the teen into a headlock, slamming the teen's head twice and then chasing the teen with the food divider before returning to the checkout line, police said.
Officials said Perrotta was with his girlfriend at the time of the incident. An investigation at Stop & Shop uncovered that the child was on the verge of tears when leaving the store, police said.
When questioned by police, they said the cashier said she had no knowledge of the incident. When shown the surveillance footage, she identified herself as the cashier but said she had no recollection of the event, police said.
Perrotta was charged with third-degree assault and released after posting $10,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
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