A 21-year-old Hartford City man is in custody after authorities say he put both hands around the neck of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old child during a diaper change, leaving visible bruising that led to a late-night hospital visit and a string of felony charges.
The child’s father brought the toddler to Riley Hospital on Thursday, where staff noticed marks on the child’s neck and contacted police. The suspect was later arrested and booked into the county jail on multiple felony counts.
According to WKRC Local 12, Hartford City police were called to Riley Hospital at approximately 11:50 p.m. Thursday after staff reported the child’s injuries. The outlet identifies the suspect as 21-year-old Kaden Schroeder and reports that he was taken to the Blackford County Security Center.
Court documents cited by WXIN state that the child told Department of Child Services case managers Schroeder strangled him because he had defecated in his diaper. The records reviewed by the station note the involvement of DCS in the case.
During an interview with police, Schroeder admitted he placed both hands around the child’s neck, causing bruising, and told investigators the incident happened while he was trying to change the child’s diaper, WKRC reports. Following that interview, officers arrested him and processed him at the county detention facility.
Charges and What They Carry
Schroeder was arrested on three felony counts: neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a person younger than 14, and strangulation, according to reporting by WXIN. Court rulings and statute text indicate that neglect resulting in bodily injury is typically charged as a Level 5 felony in Indiana, while strangulation is defined as a separate offense under the state code.
Recent Indiana appellate decisions and statutory summaries reflect those classifications. Courts have treated neglect resulting in bodily injury as a Level 5 felony and have prosecuted strangulation under IC 35-42-2-9. Indiana court opinions and statute texts outline the different felony levels and sentencing ranges tied to those offenses.
The child’s mother told investigators she did not believe Schroeder would harm the child and suggested the marks might have been eczema or irritation from a flotation device. She also told authorities Schroeder would not be allowed to return to the home. The Department of Child Services and local law enforcement are continuing to review the case as prosecutors consider formal filings.
Investigators from the Hartford City Police Department and DCS are handling the matter locally. At the time of reporting, no public court date was listed in the sources reviewed. The case remains under investigation, and prosecutors will determine the next steps.
