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Nathaniel DiRenzo: NYC man who tried strangling girl, 11, worked WITH traumatized kids

Nathaniel DiRenzo allegedly attacked the victim after he and two other dog-walkers yelled at some school kids throwing dirt and 'poppers'

A man, who was arrested after being accused of strangling an 11-year-old girl during a dispute at a Manhattan park last week, had reportedly volunteered for a nonprofit for traumatized children and young adults. Nathaniel DiRenzo, 29, allegedly attacked the victim on October 20, after he and two other dog-walkers yelled at some school kids throwing dirt and “poppers." The mid-day incident got physical after the argument escalated.

According to the police, DiRenzo, who lives on Saint Mark’s Place, approached the young girl and her classmates at Stuyvesant Square and began shouting at them over their antics, spraying water on the group. DiRenzo then allegedly tried to grab the girl's hair when she tried to fight back and punched her in the face. He then “wrapped his hands around the girl’s neck" as attempted to strangle her, police said. The victim has to be rushed to the hospital as a result of her injuries. Some of the other people who made headlines due to assault include Kim Woojin, Ji Soo, Alen Hadzic, and Kris Wu. 

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A 15-year-old boy, who was present at the scene, tried to intervene when he saw the girl being attacked. At the time DiRenzo also allegedly struck the teen, who was treated for minor injuries on the scene by EMS. DiRenzo was charged with second-degree strangulation, two counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child, second-degree harassment, and two counts of assault. He was arraigned and released on $7,500 bail on Saturday evening when he was photographed with his father. 

DiRenzo and the Lineage Project

According to the Daily Mail, DiRenzo had previously served on the board of directors for the Lineage Project, a non-profit organization that aims to teach children ways to cope with traumatic experiences. “Nathaniel DiRenzo was never an employee of the Lineage Project. He did serve as an uncompensated, volunteer board member. Mr DiRenzo is no longer on our Board of Directors,” co-Executive Director Gabrielle Prisco told the daily.

The Lineage Project's website says that the organization, "teaches trauma-sensitive mindfulness to young people, ages 12 to 24, who are navigating system-involvement and other serious challenges, to support them in cultivating well-being, community bonds, and inner/collective resilience. We center young people who are impacted by a range of traumatized/traumatizing systems, including the criminal-legal, foster care, shelter, school suspension, residential psychiatric care, and immigration systems. We also teach mindfulness to the staff working inside of these systems to help them co-regulate with young people, and mitigate the impacts of secondary trauma and burnout. This simultaneous work with young people and staff helps build cultures of greater support and empathy inside NYC’s most complex and overtaxed systems."

New York Post confirmed that DiRenzo’s bio on the Web site was removed as of Sunday. Previously it said that DiRenzo is a New Jersey native who graduated from New York University. It said he previously worked for Congress and Politico and listed his interests as running, being an avid dog owner, and “an unrepentant foodie,” the daily said.