A counselor with the New York City Administration for Children's Services has been accused of choking and beating a teenager under his supervision so severely he had to be hospitalized, according to court documents.
Rafael Pasols, 47, was charged Monday with strangulation, assault and other crimes after he allegedly choked the teenager during an argument early last month at the city-run Horizon Juvenile Center where Pasols worked as a counselor.
According to a criminal complaint, Pasols allegedly grabbed the teenager around the neck with both hands and squeezed, leaving him gasping for air, then grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to the floor. Pasols allegedly then punched the boy twice in the face.
The teenager suffered a seizure, momentary delusion and pain from the alleged beating, the complaint said. He was admitted to a hospital.
A person who answered the phone at the Horizon Juvenile Center Tuesday told NBC 4 New York Pasols was not there. It wasn't clear if Pasols was still employed with the facility.
Attorney information for him wasn't immediately available.
ACS said in a statement it takes "allegations of violence very seriously" and is investigating the matter. The counselor's direct contact with youth has been limited pending the outcome of the probe.
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"The juvenile justice staff at ACS works hard every day to serve young people in detention and to maintain the safety of the environment," the statement said.
