South Whitley Man Arrested For Battering Child
Staff Report
SOUTH WHITLEY — A South Whitley man was recently arrested after allegedly battering a child.
Johnathon Wade Shepherd, 27, 540 E. Market St., South Whitley, is charged with domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a person under the age of 14, a level 5 felony; and strangulation, a level 6 felony.
On Oct. 19, Whitley County Sheriff’s officers received a report of potential child abuse. It was reported that a child had marks and bruises on their body. Pictures of the child’s injuries were sent to Riley Children’s Hospital for examination.
According to court documents, a doctor who examined the images said her impression was the marks and bruising were inflicted injuries or signs of physical abuse.
Officers interviewed the child’s mother about the injuries. She said at the direction of the Department of Child Services, the child was taken to an urgent care clinic for examination. The mother said she was told the marks on the child’s arms didn’t look like they were from someone grabbing the child. She also said she didn’t know about bruising on the child’s face. The child also had a bloodshot vessel in their eye.
The mother said Shepherd had admitted to causing bruising on the child’s buttocks but denied causing the other injuries. She said Shepherd would spank the child but didn’t intend to leave marks.
Officers then interviewed Shepherd about the child’s injuries. Shepherd said he had spanked the child a couple of times. When asked about the child’s eye injury, he initially said he knew nothing about it. Shepherd then said the child woke up with the injury and that he had no clue where it came from.
Officers asked Shepherd about an injury pattern on the child’s face; Shepherd said he didn’t slap the child. Officers told Shepherd a doctor’s impression was the child had a pattered injury to the left side of their face consistent with a high-velocity impact or slap.
Shepherd said it was possible that while he was attempting to spank the child, he could have accidentally hit the child in the face.
The interview then focused back on the child’s eye injury. Officers told Shepherd that a doctor’s analysis suggested strangulation could have caused the injury. The officers asked Shepherd if he may have been holding the child too tight to get them in a position to spank them; Shepherd said that was a possibility.
Shepherd has been arrested on these charges. He has an initial hearing at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 8, in Whitley Circuit Court.