Staff Report

WARSAW — A Warsaw man was sentenced in Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 for battering and pointing a gun at a pregnant woman.

William Austin Moore

William Austin Moore, 22, 1826 Hepler Drive, Warsaw, pleaded guilty to intimidation, two counts of carrying a handgun without a license and pointing a firearm.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Aug. 5, 2020, Warsaw Police were dispatched to a location regarding a person pointing a gun at another person. 

Upon arrival, an officer spoke with a woman who said Moore battered her and pointed a firearm at her head. At the time of the incident, the woman was 12 weeks pregnant.

According to court documents, one of the woman’s relatives showed the officer home security surveillance footage of the incident. The officer watched the footage and could hear arguing and what sounded like a slide on a semi-automatic gun being racked backward. The officer could also hear a child at the scene ask Moore if he was going to kill someone. Eventually Moore is shown walking away from the house and throwing shoes at the woman’s car before leaving.

When asked what occurred, the woman told the officer she and Moore had been arguing throughout the day. Moore called the woman while she was running errands and was angry that she wasn’t home. When the woman went home, she and Moore resumed their argument. The woman noticed Moore was wearing a holster with a gun in it. 

Information in the affidavit states that Moore then allegedly drew the gun and cocked it before pointing it at the woman’s forehead and pushing it into her skin. He also threatened to shoot the woman if she didn’t get out of his way.

Moore then holstered the gun and pushed the woman’s chest with his forearm and applied pressure up to her neck, court paperwork said.

There were children in the home when the incident occurred, and one child witnessed what happened.

On Aug. 6, a Warsaw Police officer interviewed Moore and he admitted to pointing the gun at the woman but denied touching her. Moore also recalled the child asking if he was going to kill someone.

Moore has a prior felony conviction for domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old and was convicted in December 2017.

Judge Karen Springer sentenced Moore to two years at the Kosciusko County Jail for the charge of intimidation. For the two counts of carrying a handgun without a license, Springer sentenced Moore to five years at KCJ but suspended two years, to be served on probation. For the charge of pointing a firearm, Moore was sentenced to one year at KCJ. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently, meaning all at the same time, which results in a three-year executed sentence for Moore.

He was ordered to pay a $50 domestic violence fee and will be required to receive an MRT evaluation and to attend substance abuse treatment as part of the terms of his sentence.

Springer said she has no objection to Moore serving his sentence through Work Release. 

A prior no-contact order will remain in effect.