Police arrest three on separate domestic battery charges across past weekend
The Logansport Police Department arrested three people on domestic battery and related charges in separate incidents over the past weekend in addition to an arrest made Monday on an unlawful carrying of a handgun charge.
Around Sept. 13, 33-year-old Juana Matias Matias knowingly or intentionally touched the victim, a family or household member under the age of 14, in a rude, insolent or angry manner resulting in bodily injury, according to court information. On or about the same day, Matias Matias knowingly placed said victim, a dependent, in a situation that endangered the victim's life or health.
Matias Matias was arrested and charged by the Cass Circuit Court with one count of domestic battery, a level 5 Felony, and one count of neglect of a dependent, a level 6 Felony. An initial hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 3.
• According to an incident report taken on Sept. 15, officer Quinn McGovern and other officers with the Logansport Police Department were dispatched to a residence in reference to a physical domestic incident that had already occurred. Upon arriving, McGovern met with 30-year-old Nicholas Austin, who was sitting in his vehicle outside of the residence.
Austin said he and the female victim were fighting and she had broken a window on his car. He said he had been physical with her, saying he had slapped her on the arms and shoulders and had pushed her, but said she had done the same to him.
While McGovern spoke to Austin, patrolman LeeAnn Morales spoke to the female victim, noting injuries such as a red mark and large bruise on her left arm. When McGovern asked Austin if he had any injuries, he said he did not. McGovern also noted that he did not observe any bruising or red marks to show he was slapped by the female victim.
The officer then transported Austin to the Cass County Jail. After he was taken away from the residence, McGovern came inside to help the female victim with a domestic battery packet. At that time, she stated Austin had dragged her out of bed and through the apartment, was punching her and then strangling her to the point she could not breath, according to the incident report.
Austin was charged by Cass Superior Court 1 with one count of strangulation, one count of intimidation and one count of criminal confinement, all level 6 felonies. He was also charged with one count of domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor, according to information provided in court documents.
An initial hearing was held the morning of Sept. 18, with a pretrial conference to be held at 9 a.m. Nov. 4. The final pretrial will be held at 9 a.m. Dec. 5 and the jury trial will be held at 9 a.m. Jan. 7.
• The Logansport Police Department arrested 31-year-old Harrell Dawson on Sept. 15 on the charges of domestic battery in the presence of a child, strangulation and leaving the scene of an accident, according to police reports.
Around Sept. 15, court information says, Dawson knowingly touched a female victim, a family or household manner, in a rude, angry or insolent manner, while knowingly in the presence of a child less than 16 years old. He also knowingly applied pressure to the same female victim's neck or throat in a way that impaired her breathing or blood circulation.
On the same day, Dawson also knowingly touched a second female victim in a manner that resulted in bodily injury. Additionally, Dawson, being the driver of a vehicle that was involved in an accident with a male victim, knowingly failed to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to it as possible, court information says.
Cass Superior Court 1 charged Dawson with one count of domestic battery and one count of strangulation, both level 6 Felonies, along with one count of battery resulting in bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, a class B misdemeanor. An initial hearing was held Sept. 18.
A status conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 26, while a pretrial conference is to take place at 9 a.m. Nov. 4. A final pretrial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 5 and a jury trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 7.
• On Sept. 16, the Logansport Police Department arrested 30-year-old Jordan Etherington of Kokomo on charges of unlawful carrying of a handgun, intimidation and pointing a firearm, according to police reports.
Court information says around Sept. 16, Etherington knowingly or intentionally carried a handgun while being a person convicted of a federal or state offense. On or about the same day, Etherington threatened to commit a forcible felony. Court information says Etherington also knowingly or intentionally pointed an unloaded firearm at the victim.
Cass Superior Court 2 charged Etherington with one count of unlawful carrying of a handgun, a level 5 felony, one count of intimidation, a level 6 felony, and pointing a firearm, a class A misdemeanor. Because he was convicted of carrying a handgun without a license on June 27 in the Monroe County Circuit Court 5, the first count was raised to a level 5 felony, according to a filed notice of intent.
An initial hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sept. 23.
