A New Jersey man was arrested after choking his 9-year-old daughter outside a restaurant in the Florida Keys on Tuesday evening, authorities said.

Scott W. Alino, 47, of Brick, was charged with neglect of a child without great bodily harm, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Three witnesses told sheriff’s deputies that Alino dragged his daughter through the parking lot of the Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island and began choking her until an employee intervened, allowing the child to run back inside.

Alino was taken into custody around 7 p.m. after threatening the worker who confronted him and then called 911, officials said. The employee said the girl’s neck was red and she was on the verge of losing consciousness.

The New Jersey man told responding officers that he placed his hands on the girl’s shoulder and neck because she was misbehaving but denied choking her. He also relayed to deputies he didn’t need anyone telling him how to raise his children, the sheriff’s office said.

Surveillance video from the restaurant backed up the witnesses’ story.

Alino, who is scheduled to be arraigned May 9, remained in custody at the Monroe County Detention Center in Key West as of Wednesday afternoon.

Stock Island is just east of Key West.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.