'He thought I was dead': 78-year-old janitor beaten, allegedly by naked student, Texas district says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- A Texas student is facing charges after Houston-area high school administrators say he brutally beat a janitor.

According to the school district, the alleged attack happened at about 10 a.m. on Friday at Eisenhower High School in Harris County, Texas.

Authorities said the student was completely naked when he approached 78-year-old Simon Galvez and started swinging.

They also believe the student was under the influence.

"It was a monster that touched him because he was so hurt," Martina Galvez, the victim's wife, said.

Martina Galvez said it's unbearable to see her husband in his current condition. She told ABC13 Houston that he sustained his injuries at Eisenhower High School, where he works as a janitor.

Simon Galvez said a student came up to him outside the school completely naked. His first thought was the student needed help, so he planned to call security.

Then he said the student moved closer to him and asked to be let into the building.

"I told him, 'No.' It was the only word exchanged. I started to walk away, and then he grabbed me with one hand and started hitting me in the face with the other," Simon Galvez said.

Simon Galvez is elderly, and he said despite his best efforts, he stood no chance against the young man.

"After the last blow, he started to choke me. He put both hands around my neck," Simon Galvez said.

Galvez said he essentially played dead to survive the attack.

"He came over to look at me on the ground, and he thought he'd done it. He thought I was dead," Simon Galvez said.

Galvez is still recovering from his injuries. He said he sustained blows to his face, head, a dislocated finger, and a sprained ankle.

"It destroyed me because I thought he was going to die. That's what I said when I saw him, 'He's going to die,'" Martina Galvez said.

The student was taken into custody shortly after the incident.

In a statement, Aldine Independent School District said:

Aldine ISD is aware that a custodian at Eisenhower High School was assaulted on Friday, Jan. 12, outside of the campus by an Eisenhower student. The custodian sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. We want to commend the custodian for preventing the student from entering the school where he might have harmed others. We are grateful he will recover and offer our support.

Aldine ISD does not condone this sort of behavior and anyone who engages in this sort of behavior will face serious disciplinary consequences. The student was arrested by the Aldine ISD Police and was determined to be under the influence. The Harris County District Attorney's Office charged the student with assault of a public servant and the student will also face disciplinary action per the district's Student Code of Conduct.

"I was just thinking about the security of the school and put my life at risk for it," Simon Galvez said.

Simon Galvez is two years out from retirement and said he'll have to change positions for a less labor-intensive job given his injuries.

He's been with be with Aldine ISD for more than two decades.