COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Gahanna man was arrested Saturday and is being charged with felonious assault after allegedly beating and strangling his 6-month-old child earlier this week, according to court records.
Officers from the Columbus Division of Police were sent to the 1900 block of Grasmere Avenue in north Columbus on a domestic violence call just after 2 p.m. on Oct. 26 where they found the child's mom outside. Court records say, she told police at the scene that both of her children were inside with Ceedric Hollingsworth, 24, and "she feared for her life."
She noted that Hollingsworth is wanted on warrants including one for felonious assault and the other for domestic violence. After police confirmed the warrants, they attempted to talk to Hollingsworth but received no answer, according to records.
The SWAT team was called and made entry where they discovered two children, a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old, in the home alone. The 6-month-old was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital in "serious condition."
When detectives revisited the hospital to check on the infant's condition, they were told the child had skull fractures, bruises, swelling to the face and strangulation marks to her neck. The infant also had a fractured clavicle.
The child's mother told officers Thursday that she had noticed a bump on the infant's forehead and bruising on her buttocks and asked Hollingsworth what happened. The mother claimed that Hollingsworth told her, "when she cries I knock her out, I punch her and I choke her until she stops crying."
According to the complaint filed in the Franklin County Municipal Court this week, Hollingsworth, knowingly caused serious physical harm by means of punching and strangulation an infant until she stopped crying.
Court records show in another incident earlier this year that Hollingsworth got into an argument with his brother, Skyler Burley, and when Burley attempted to drive away, Hollingsworth blocked the road saying he would kill his brother and raised a handgun, firing it. His brother fled safely on foot.
Hollingsworth entered a plea of not guilty in court for his charges of attempted murder, felonious assault and endangering children.