MUNCIE, Ind. — Police arrested a Muncie father who admitted to spanking a 6-month-old child for not eating, according to court documents.
Officers were called to the home of Zachery Walsh, 32, on Friday, February 10 just before 3 p.m. A Department of Child Services worker was investigating possible child abuse and neglect and had requested police assistance.
Court documents indicate the DCS worker noted “red marks, bruising, blood welts” on a 6-month-old boy’s bottom. In a probable cause affidavit, a Muncie police officer also noticed redness on the child’s cheek and nose.
When asked about the injuries, Walsh reportedly said the baby wasn’t eating, so he “disciplined” the infant by spanking him “a few times.” He told DCS and police it only happened once, but the police officer said the injuries appeared both “fresh and old”, indicating the spanking happened on more than one occasion.
Walsh denied striking the child in the face.
The boy’s mother, Savanna Walsh, 27, told police she saw the spanking, then went outside for a cigarette, according to the affidavit.
The infant was taken into DCS custody. Zachery Walsh was arrested and preliminarily charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person under the age of 14 and child abuse/neglect.
Savanna Walsh was arrested for neglect of dependent with bodily injury and failure to report abuse.
