Caregiver charged with choking 6-year-old

A late October confrontation between a caregiver at Nassau University Medical Center and a 6-year-old led to the caregiver's arrest on assault charges Tuesday, police said.

Nassau County police said Azoumana Ouattara, a patient-care assistant at the hospital, attempted to strangle the child -- because, he said, the child had cursed at him.

Police said an investigation determined the child was in Ouattara's care when the incident occurred Oct. 29 at NUMC in East Meadow.

"The defendant became angry after the victim used profanity towards him, grabbing the child around the neck, causing contusions," police said in a news release.

Ouattara, 45, of Commercial Street in Freeport, was arrested at his home Tuesday at 10 a.m. He was charged with second-degree assault, strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child.

"We decline to comment due to pending legal action," hospital spokeswoman Shelley Lotenberg said.

The child was not identified because of age.