Staff Report

Zeke Kaden Brown

NAPPANEE — A Warsaw man was arrested after allegedly battering a woman while arguing over custody of a child.

Zeke Kaden Brown, 24, 422 W. Center St. B., Warsaw, is charged with domestic battery with a child under 16 present and domestic battery with a prior conviction enhancement, both level 6 felonies; and domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor.

On July 19, a Nappanee Police officer responded to a domestic battery report and spoke with Brown, who said he had been at a woman’s residence off and on throughout the night.

According to court documents, Brown said he got into several arguments with the woman about custody of a child. A short time later, the woman became angry and asked him to leave; while doing so, Brown said he attempted to hug the woman when she pushed him away. As he attempted to regain his balance, Brown allegedly said he accidentally grabbed the woman’s breast. Brown said he apologized but that the woman became more upset, locking herself and the child in a room. Brown said the woman scratched him when he was pushed away.

The officer then spoke with the woman, who said she had brought Brown to the residence to spend time with her child. During the visit, the woman and Brown had several arguments about custody of the child. The woman told Brown to leave when Brown walked up to her, squeezing one of her breasts in a hard manner.

The child was present in the residence during the arguments and physical altercation between Brown and the woman.

Brown was previously convicted of domestic battery to a person less than 14 years of age in Kosciusko County in March 2018.

For this incident, Brown was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Oct. 31, with a $6,000 surety and cash bond.