LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County prosecutors say they've charged a U.S. postal worker with child cruelty for choking an 11-year-old girl who laughed at him at a park.

Spokeswoman Jane Robison says the charges filed Wednesday against 55-year-old Daniel Villasenor stem from an incident while he was on duty Monday afternoon at the park in the city of Commerce.

The Temple City man allegedly became angry after two children taunted him and chased a girl into a bathroom and began choking her inside an adjacent supply room while two city workers told him to stop.

Villasenor appeared in court Wednesday still wearing his postal uniform and pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $15,000.

The Postal Service says Villasenor, a 30-year employee, has been placed on unpaid leave during the investigation.