By GLEN WERLING
A Bluffton man has been charged with battery after an infant was treated at an Indianapolis hospital for injuries.
A preliminary plea of not guilty was entered for Trevor James Coleman, 19, charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person under the age of 14, a Level 3 felony, and battery against a public safety official, a Level 6 felony. His bond was continued at $25,000. Larry Mock appointed his public defender.
Coleman is charged with battering a 2-month-old boy left in his care, breaking the baby’s left arm in such a way that the left humeral bone was completely broken in half. He is also charged with striking the baby’s head causing the baby to bleed internally. The incidents are believed by the investigating detective in the case to have occurred at Coleman’s 400 block of West Market Street apartment sometime on Dec. 6.
Coleman told the investigating officer the infant suffered the injuries by falling out of a baby bouncer. However the emergency room doctor who examined the baby said the boy’s injuries were more consistent with “non-accidental injuries.”
The baby was taken to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis where a doctor also concurred that the injuries were consistent with non-accidental injury.
The matter is also being investigated by the Wells County Department of Child Services. A case worker had requested that Coleman submit to a drug test in the Wells Circuit Court jury room Dec. 8. Coleman reportedly submitted to the saliva test, but allegedly became more and more agitated and aggressive during the course of the test and allegedly eventually threw the test kit toward the case worker. The kit allegedly struck the table between the two and bounced up, striking the case worker in the shoulder.
A bystander is alleged to have tried to step in and Coleman allegedly started aggressively approaching the bystander but calmed down when officers arrived on scene.
He reportedly submitted to another test, which allegedly revealed that Coleman had methamphetamine in his system.
glenw@news-banner.com
