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Man arrested after Texas child gives bus driver note asking to call 911

David Amado Gonzales, 38, was arrested on an assault charge after police were tipped off by a child's note. (Ector County Sheriff's Office)

ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – A man from Odessa, Texas, was arrested earlier this week after a child passed a note to her bus driver asking for help on Tuesday.

That morning, officers with the Odessa Police Department were notified of the girl’s actions and responded to an address listed on the note, intending to investigate an unknown issue.

When they arrived, officers found a man and a woman, who police said is the girl’s mother, sitting on the porch. As investigators approached, the couple walked inside their home and took several minutes to open the door. 

Eventually, officers managed to speak with an alleged victim who said her boyfriend, identified as 38-year-old David Amado Gonzales, had arrived home around 1:00 a.m. intoxicated. The woman said Gonzales had pulled her hair and punched her several times. She said he then bit her forehead and held a switchblade to her neck, leaving a cut behind her ear.

Investigators confirmed that the victim had multiple cuts and bruises across her face and head consistent with that type of assault, Odessa police said.


Gonzales was arrested and taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center where he remained as of Thursday afternoon. Gonzales has been charged with aggravated assault. 

His bond has been set at $50,000.