A Des Moines man was arrested Friday night after allegedly endangering a child in Waukee.
Melvin Antonio Ramirez Chavarria, 22, of 3725 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines, was charged with child endangerment-bodily injury.
The incident began about 10:15 p.m. Friday at a residence in the 800 block of Celtic Drive, where officers of the Waukee Police Department responded to a report of a fight “over how to discipline” a 1-year-old child, according to court records.
An investigation by the officers revealed that Ramirez Chavarria allegedly “pinched the child and hit her in the mouth to get her to be quiet,” according to court records.
The alleged abuse was confirmed by several witnesses, according to court records, and “photos of marks on the child were taken.”
Ramirez Chavarria is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 14 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
