A 22-year-old Warsaw man was discovered hiding inside a dumpster in an alley Sunday after police say he battered a woman while her child was nearby, then fled on foot when she called 911. Abel Orlando Salazar Velasco, of 521 Clinic Court, now faces a felony charge because the alleged attack happened in the presence of a child.
Warsaw police officers were dispatched after receiving word of a 911 hangup at a residence, according to InkFreeNews.com, which reported that responding officers traced the uncompleted call to the address and found the victim with multiple bruises on her arms and head. Her clothes were wet and muddy, the outlet reported. According to court documents cited by the outlet, Salazar Velasco grabbed the victim by the shoulders, threw her to the ground, and bit her left forearm and right wrist.
The victim's child was nearby during the altercation, according to the same court documents. When she called 911, Salazar Velasco left the residence on foot, and officers say they later located him hiding inside a dumpster in a nearby alley. He was transported to the Kosciusko County Jail, where jail booking records reviewed by the Times-Union show he was booked at 4:41 p.m. Sunday on preliminary charges of domestic battery in the presence of a child and failure to appear, with no bond set.
A Felony Charge Tied to a Child's Presence
Salazar Velasco is charged with domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and domestic battery in the presence of a child, a Level 6 felony, per the outlet's report. Under Indiana Code § 35-42-2-1.3(b)(2), domestic battery escalates from a misdemeanor to a felony when committed against a household member in the physical presence of a child under 16 who could see or hear the act, according to FindLaw.
A Level 6 felony conviction in Indiana carries a potential penalty of six months to two-and-a-half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the Marc Lopez Law Firm. The lesser Class A misdemeanor charge carries a potential sentence of up to 365 days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 under Indiana Code § 35-50-3-2, per the Vanderpool Law Firm.
Court documents state the victim told officers that Salazar Velasco battered her and had an outstanding warrant against him at the time. Salazar Velasco has an initial hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, in Kosciusko County. It remains unclear whether he will be held without bond through that hearing given his history of failing to appear in court.
A Documented History With Local Law Enforcement
Salazar Velasco has two pending cases in Kosciusko County, stemming from a February 2025 arrest in which he was charged with Level 6 felony operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction, along with misdemeanor counts for OWI, minor consuming alcohol, and driving without a license, according to InkFreeNews's earlier reporting. He was previously arrested in the county on April 30, 2023, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and consuming alcohol as a minor, and again on December 9, 2024, for minor consumption.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office had also published his name and photo on its official Most Wanted bulletins in March 2025 and September 2025, seeking public assistance in locating him on outstanding warrants. How the Prosecuting Attorney's Office will handle his pending felony OWI case alongside these new charges remains an open question.
Criminal charges from Warsaw Police Department investigations are prosecuted by the Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, led by Prosecuting Attorney J. Brad Voelz, and adjudicated in Kosciusko Superior Courts.
Local Support for Domestic Violence Victims
For readers affected by domestic violence, the Beaman Home in Warsaw operates as Kosciusko County's primary domestic violence emergency shelter and victim advocacy center. The shelter, located at 603 Parker St., runs a 24-hour crisis hotline at (574) 267-7701 for anyone seeking help or safety planning.
