AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Jan. 22, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A father in American Fork has been jailed on aggravated child abuse charges after allegedly striking his child and cutting off the victim’s air supply.
The suspect, whose name Gephardt Daily is withholding to protect the privacy of the victim, was arrested Saturday evening on suspicion of:
- Two counts of aggravated child abuse, intentionally or knowingly, a second-degree felony
- Interference with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Intoxication, a class C misdemeanor
- Two counts of disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor
The suspect, in his 30s, was “intoxicated but willing to speak with officers,” his probable cause statement says, adding, “his explanations of the evening were hard to understand, and it appeared obvious he was highly intoxicated.”
The child reported that the father “had got on top of the victim and placed his forearm over the front of 7-year-olds neck and hit the victim in the face several times,” the man’s probable cause statement says.
The victim reported trying to remove the father’s arm due to “having trouble breathing.”
Officers with the American Fork Police noted there were scratches on the child’s cheek, nose and eye area, ear and neck.
An older sibling of the victim reported seeing the child assaulted. The sibling reported hiding due to fear, but still being able to hear the physical abuse.
“During the commission of the assault, the mother of the children tried to stop (their father) from continuing to assault the victim,” and was shoved away.
As officers led the suspect out of the residence, he “became combative with officers to the point in which he attempted to escape the grip of accompanying officers. In order to keep him restrained, officers had to push (the suspect) against a wall until enough people arrived to carry (the suspect) from the second floor to the waiting patrol vehicle.”
Once in the vehicle, he “continued being physical by hitting his head against the window of the patrol vehicle,” and was “placed in a WRAP containment system to be transported to jail.”
The suspect was booked into the Utah County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
It’s obvious he needs help with getting rid of his addiction to alcohol and he should not go back to his family till that is completed…..AND that mother needs help to raise her children in a safe environment. Why can’t we ban alcohol, it causes so many tragedies.
I agree one hundred percent. Nothing, absolutely nothing good ever comes from alcohol. It should be illegal. But that will never happen. Unfortunately.