WARSAW — A Warsaw man has been arrested after his son told an employee of the Department of Child Protective Services that his dad became angry and hit him with a closed fist. The child said he was told to lie about the incident and say it was an accident.

Nathaniel James Hollett

Nathaniel James Hollett, 30, 752 East CR 300N, Warsaw, is being charged with domestic battery with bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age, a level 5 felony, and interference with the reporting of a crime, a class A misdemeanor.

On March 20, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department responded to a welfare check. A Madison Elementary School resource officer had been contacted in regards to a student missing school because of a black eye.

The officer arrived at the child’s home and spoke with the mother. She advised that Hollett did give the child a black eye but that it was an accident. She claimed the incident occurred while Hollett was retrieving a bed sheet from the closet. According to the story, Hollett jerked the sheet and his elbow hit his son in the eye.

At this point, the child confirmed his mother’s story.

An employee of the Department of Child Services then conducted an interview with the child on March 21 at his school. The child said that his father had became angry and hit him on the eye with a closed fist. According to the child, he was told to lie if he was questioned about the black eye. Hollett told him that he told the “right story” he would get to go somewhere fun.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, DCS then asked the child if he feels safe at home. The child responded, “I feel safe unless daddy is mad.”

Hollett currently has charges pending in Kosciusko County Superior Court. One charge for strangulation and two for domestic battery.

He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on April 30 with a $16,000 surety and cash bond.