Staff Report

WARSAW — Five men are facing criminal charges for allegedly battering an inmate while they were all incarcerated at the Kosciusko County Jail.

Desean Jakes, 28, South Bend; Da-Vonte Jerrell Gunn, 33, South Bend; Zackary James Williams, 35, 351 S. 900E, Akron; and Arthur Crit Martin, 37, Warsaw; are each charged with criminal confinement with moderate bodily injury, a level 4 felony; battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a level 6 felony; and battery resulting in bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor.

Edward Danny Freeman, 24, Chicago, Ill., is charged with criminal confinement with moderate bodily injury, a level 4 felony; battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a level 6 felony; and battery, a class B misdemeanor.

On April 4, the Kosciusko County Jail’s central control staff received a call from a jail block requesting a jailer go to the block. Upon arrival, a jailer spoke with an inmate who had facial injuries. The inmate said he was jumped and told jail staff to check the cameras.

According to court documents, surveillance footage from 9 p.m. April 3 showed the inmate and Jakes, who was an inmate at the time, bumping into each other in a common area. Jakes was then shown walking into a room with the inmate following him.

Gunn, Williams, Martin, and Freeman stood in the room’s doorway, blocking it. The inmate attempted to leave, but the group prevented him from leaving.

Video footage showed Martin pushing the inmate from behind and further into the room. Jakes hit the inmate several times and also physically prevented the inmate from leaving. Freeman, Gunn, and Williams joined the incident and also each hit the inmate multiple times.

The inmate sustained bruises under both of his eyes and significant swelling around his left eye. He also had cuts on his face and torso.

Jakes was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on July 4.

A warrant was issued for Williams’ arrest on May 21.

Martin has a change of plea hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 11.

Gunn has already been arrested and has a pretrial conference at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 18.

Freeman has already been arrested and has a pretrial conference at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 25.