Chase Burnau

WARSAW — A Warsaw man was sentenced on charges of battery against his pregnant wife today, Aug. 31, in Kosciusko County Superior Court I with Judge David Cates presiding.

Chase Johnathon Burnau, 23, 303 N. Columbia St., Warsaw, was sentenced on a charge of battery causing bodily injury to a pregnant woman, a level 5 felony.

According to the affidavit of probable, on May 8 Burnau advised officers that he had gotten into an argument with his wife and that his wife had pushed him and asked him to leave the residence.

Officers spoke to Burnau’s wife who also advised they had gotten into an argument. She told officers that when she attempted to walk away, Burnau had grabbed her by the hair and hit her between the shoulder blades. He then grabbed her wrist and attempted to use her hands to hit himself in the face. When she told him she was going to call the police, Burnau took her phone and threw it against the wall. She was able to call 911 from a neighbor’s phone.

The victim had soreness to her right wrist and redness to the left side of her face. She told officers that she is married to Burnau and was, at the time, 15 weeks pregnant with his child. Burnau was aware that she was pregnant at the time of the battery.

Officers then spoke with the neighbor who advised he heard a fight between the couple and heard the wife yell, “Get off me.” The wife then came to his residence and used his phone to call 911.

Burnau’s attorney Jay Rigdon advised the court that Burnau used to have a drug problem but has been clean since May, the time of the incident. Rigdon argued that this shows Burnau is attempting to get his life together and is making progress.

Burnau told the court that he wanted to be able to build a life for his kids. He has one child who is almost two and his wife is due in October.

Judge Cates sentenced Burnau to three years at the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department or the Indiana Department of Corrections. Two years of the sentence were suspended to be served on probation.

Burnau may serve his time on work release as long as he qualifies and will receive 116 days jail time credit. Burnau must also complete counseling at Bowen Center.