Woman Head-Butted, Robbed In Alleged Convenience Store Incident

A 21-year-old single mother tried a restraining order. Then she was given an order of protection from a judge. She tried moving around at her job for a chain of convenience stores but Oscar Diaz kept finding her, police said.

One time she went to the hospital after he strangled her, she told authorities.

In the most recent incident, police said the woman was viciously head-butted by Diaz at a busy West Hartford store after she was tormented in front of customers and ultimately robbed.

“I asked [the victim] is she thinks Diaz would kill her and she replied by saying she believes he is capable of ‘really hurting’ her,” the investigating West Hartford officer said.

The woman was serving customers when Diaz, 26, of 854 Capital Ave. in Hartford, showed up on a Sunday about 6 p.m., police said. He walked to the counter and harassed her for about 20 minutes, using degrading obscenities in English and Spanish, police said.

“[The victim] said her heart was pounding and her hands were sweating during the entire time he was there because of previous domestic violence acts,” the officer said in his report.

Diaz returned about 10 p.m., when the woman was closing up, police said. Diaz followed her outside and threatened to choke her. He grabbed her arm and knocked her purse off her shoulder, police said. He reached into her purse, broke her cellphone and allegedly stuffed $400 into his pockets.

Finally, police said, “Diaz decided to head-butt her in the face, twice.”

The cash was to help her mother pay the mortgage, police said, “and money that she was putting aside for a home for herself and her daughter.”

Her face was cut in two places and an area around her right eye was blackened and swelled to the size of a golf ball. Police took photos of bruises on her face, around her chest, left elbow and hand, and right arm.

She told police she just “wants to be safe and make something for her daughter and herself.”

Diaz was picked up by Hartford police Sept. 21 at midnight. The charges included disorderly conduct and assault from an incident in July. He was charged in August with assault and violating a restraining order.

Three hours later booked Diaz on assault, robbery, violation of a protective order and a restraining order, criminal mischief and breach of peace. He was scheduled to appear Oct. 3 at Hartford Superior Court, where he has six pending cases.

The woman was at the West Hartford store less than two weeks before Diaz found her.

“She is afraid of him to the point that she cannot walk anywhere without fearing he will show up,” police said.