Etna Green Man Arrested After Child Injured
Staff Report
ETNA GREEN — An Etna Green man was recently arrested after allegedly scratching a child’s neck.
Gilberto Rangel, 43, 9462 N. SR 19 Lot 23, Etna Green, is charged with domestic battery to a person less than 14 years of age by a person at least 18 years of age, a level 6 felony; and domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor.
On Jan. 1, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputy went to a residence in Etna Green regarding a fight in progress. Officers were previously dispatched to the area three hours prior for a similar incident. Upon arrival, the deputy could hear a man cursing at somebody.
According to court documents, one of the children at the home told the deputy that Rangel scratched a child on the neck. When asked about the incident, a woman at the home said she didn’t see it happen since the incident occurred outside. The woman said Rangel took the child outside to speak with them when he scratched the child on the neck.
The deputy then spoke with the injured child about what happened. The child said Rangel asked them to come outside for a conversation. Rangel was trying to get the child to follow him and aggressively grabbed the child’s neck to do so, causing a scratch.
The deputy noticed a fresh scratch on the child’s neck.
Rangel has an initial hearing at 1 p.m. Feb. 4.