PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Providence man is facing charges after he allegedly strangled a woman and injured a child, according to Connecticut State Police. Ariel Dejsus Valdez, 28, was extradited to Connecticut on Monday following the alleged assault. On Saturday, Dec. 7, troopers responded to reports of a disturbance at a rest area off I-95 North in Fairfield. On their way there, they learned a woman and an infant had been physically assaulted and injured. Troopers found the victim seated in a pickup truck at the semi-tractor parking area. She told police that Valdez, who is in the U.S. on a temporary visa, had to return to the Dominican Republic within weeks. The victim said Valdez was driving the truck with her in the passenger seat and a one-month-old in the back, police said. While driving home to Providence, she asked to stop and use the restroom. According to the police report, Valdez began arguing with and threatening a mechanic over the phone about a car in the shop. When the victim attempted to calm him down, Valdez allegedly got upset and attempted to hit her. "He turned to me after he parked and tried to smack me in the face with his right hand," the victim told police. "He did not hit me and missed, and I opened the door and got out of the truck." The victim said Valdez then took $2,000 in cash they had earned from transporting vehicles and walked away, according to the police report. Frightened, she climbed into the driver’s seat, locked the doors, and stayed inside with the child. The report says Valdez climbed into the truck's bed and opened a toolbox. The victim tried to drive off, believing that he had left, but Valdez then shattered the right rear window. Shards of glass fell on the infant, cutting the child's face. "I turned to look behind me and saw my baby's face was full of blood and he was crying," the victim explained in the report. She screamed for help, but Valdez allegedly walked back, opened the driver’s door, and strangled her with both hands. "He threw me back with force after he choked me and then walked away toward the rest area," the victim told police. "I had to catch my breath." The victim hid in the truck until police arrived and did not see where Valdez went. EMTs treated the infant for injuries, removing glass fragments from the child’s blanket and neck area. Police also notified Connecticut's Department of Child Protective Services and filed a suspected child abuse or neglect form. The victim told troopers Valdez had an active arrest warrant in the Dominican Republic and that the cash he took belonged to an interstate transportation company. Valdez fled Connecticut and was eventually arrested on the following charges: Risk of injury to a child Second-degree reckless endangerment (two counts) Second-degree strangulation or suffocation Third-degree larceny Second-degree breach of peace Valdez was held on a $100,000 bond at the Bridgeport Correctional Center and was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW