Man Sentenced For Battery That Caused Seizure, Serious Injuries
WARSAW — A man will pay more than $10,000 in restitution and potentially serve prison time pending his approval for work release after battering a man, causing him to have a seizure.
Raymond R. Tracey III, 34, of Ashley, was charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a level 5 felony. A charge of battery resulting in bodily injury was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Tracey was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court 3 on Tuesday, March 3.
On Nov. 7, 2018, a Warsaw Police officer responded to a report of a man having a seizure. When the officer arrived at the scene, he talked with a woman. According to court documents, the woman said the seizure the man was experiencing was caused by being severely beaten by Tracey.
The woman said she and the man were laying on a bed when Tracey entered the bedroom, jumped on the man and started punching him in the face. Tracey then left the scene when the man began having a seizure. The man was then taken from the scene by ambulance. While on the way to Kosciusko Community Hospital, the ambulance diverted to Lutheran Hospital Fort Wayne due to the severity of his injuries.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Sobek discussed the extent of the victim’s injuries, including a shattered eye socket and a broken nose.
“He’s looking at permanent disfiguration of his face,” said Sobek. “The most aggravating circumstance here is the damage that occurred. (The victim) is going to be dealing with this for the rest of his life. He had his face beaten in. With the level of injury, I think (incarceration) is entirely appropriate. Having him (Tracey) walk out of here would send a horrific message to our community.”
Defense Attorney David Kolbe referred to this case as a serious offense and said that Tracey has taken full responsibility for his actions. During court proceedings, Tracey also apologized to everyone involved in the case.
Kosciusko Superior Court 3 Judge Joe Sutton sentenced Tracey to 2 1/2 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections and 2 1/2 years suspended on probation. Sutton also gave Tracey a 90-day window to apply for the Kosciusko County Work Release Program. If Tracey is not accepted into the program, he will be transferred to DoC to serve his sentence.
Tracey must also pay $10,059.74 in restitution to the victim in this case.