Man accused of assaulting girl at Coralville Pancheros

CORALVILLE - A Fairfield man is accused of assaulting a girl at a Pancheros restaurant.

According to a Coralville police criminal complaint, on March 3 around 6:45 p.m., 50-year-old Mark E.J. Gaskell was having dinner at Pancheros with the victim, described as a minor child. Police said Gaskell tried to discipline the girl by pushing the table to the side and rushing her.

Gaskell put his hand around the girl's neck and pushed her to the side. Witnesses later told police it appeared Gaskell was choking the girl.

The girl appeared to be frightened and had three small marks around her neck, police said. The incident was recorded by Pancheros' surveillance camera, police said.

Gaskell was arrested and faces one count of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.