Man Held For Punching Stepdaughter, Choking Son
GARY, Ind. (STMW) - Police arrested a 27-year-old Gary, Ind. man who, after spending the entire day drinking, tried to choke his 3-year-old namesake because the boy didn't want to go to him, court records state.
Courtney N. Davis, a resident of Dorie Miller Housing Development, was arrested Wednesday night by Patrolmen Shanesha Emmons and John Street who went to his home and found signs of a struggle throughout the apartment, and marks on Davis' 16-year-old stepdaughter and his son, Courtney Davis Jr.
Davis was charged with five counts of neglect of a dependent, one count of felony battery and four counts of misdemeanor battery. He is being held at Lake County Jail on $100,000 bond.
His stepdaughter told Detective Willie Ervin she was caring for the toddler, cooking him some dinner and putting his pajamas on, when the boy's father called for him, the affidavit states.
Davis "kept hollering for Courtney Jr. to come to him but Courtney Jr. would not do so," the affidavit states.
The girl took the toddler to her room, but Davis came in and pushed and punched her. He forced her 11-year-old sister out into the cold with no coat or shoes and started choking his son, police said.
The 16-year-old told police the child cried, "Stop, Daddy," while his father choked him. The girl ran to a neighbor's home for help, and when the neighbor arrived, she saw Davis lying on top of his son threatening to kill him.
The boy's mother told police she was at work all day and she believed Davis had been drinking since 8 a.m. and "she believes he also snorts something."
She returned home about 6 p.m. and found water on the kitchen floor, a phone pulled out of the wall and furniture moved.
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