A Summerfield man found himself behind bars Monday night after a juvenile claimed he attacked him during an argument about a recent theft.
The victim told Marion County sheriff’s deputies that 40-year-old Jack D. Burnsworth had accused him of stealing from a neighbor. He said Burnsworth punched him in the head with a closed fist and in the mouth with an open hand, causing a laceration on his bottom lip. Deputies reported that the victim had dried blood in his nose, which he believed was from Burnsworth hitting him the bridge of his nose, a sheriff’s office report states.
The victim also told deputies that Burnsworth made him wash the blood off in the shower and sprayed him in the face with water. He said he resisted Burnsworth and he grabbed him by the neck and started choking him and later punched him in the stomach, the report says.
The victim said it became difficult for him to breathe while he was being choked and he felt like he was going to pass out. Deputies noted dried blood around both of the victim’s nostrils and a laceration on his bottom lip. They also observed red marks around both sides of his neck.
Burnsworth told deputies that he was arguing with the victim over him allegedly stealing a debit card from the neighbor. He said the victim continued to deny the allegations so he decided to “pop” him with an open hand, the report says.
Deputies detained Burnsworth and read him his rights. He then admitted to slapping the victim in the face and grabbing him by the mouth because he was talking back to him. But he denied punching or choking the victim. He also said the victim frequently gets nosebleeds and he didn’t cause him to bleed, according to the report.
Burnsworth was placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. He was being held on $5,000 bond and is due in court June 22 at 9 a.m., jail records show.