Being too small to work, and being the frequent victim of larger street people who would take the money he made each day, Daniel attempted to take a pastry from a street vendor out of hunger and desperation. He was caught by the vendor and several men loitering nearby. They took Daniel to the side of one of the buildings in the area, where they amputated the little finger of his left hand as punishment. He was told that if he attempted to steal from any vendor again, they would take his whole hand