A Chillicothe man is accused of abusing a 1-year-old boy.

Austin Holstine, 23 was charged Monday in Livingston County with a felony for first-degree assault.

According to court documents, Holstine was watching his girlfriend’s son while she worked overnight Saturday.  Police were called to Hedrick Medical Center for a child abuse report involving the toddler early Sunday morning. The girlfriend allegedly reported that when she got home around 2:30 a.m. Sunday she found her son who was born in 2015 had been physically abused.

Officer Jeremiah Grider with the Chillicothe Police Department said in a probable cause statement that the girlfriend confronted Holstine about the injuries.

“Stated to her that he had accidentally closed the front door on his head. Austin stated that the juvenile’s nose was bleeding because a crayon had got stuck in his nose and Austin had to dig it out,” Grider said.

Grider said he examined the child whose injuries looked fresh.

“There was bruising from head to toe,” Grider said. “Bruises and swelling throughout his face head and extremities. Several marks, that appeared to be caused by fingernail, from someone grabbing the child in an extreme manner. Several marks, that appeared to be made from a thin wire, as if the child was hit with an object. A continuous line around the child’s neck that appeared to be from a thing wire or rope type object that had been placed around the child’s neck.”

A social worker from Children’s Mercy Hospital was reported to have examined the child.

“The social worker explained that the child had internal injuries along with surface injuries. She explained that the child suffered from a lacerated liver that would be caused by blunt force trauma and that the child’s left left suffered from a twist fractured tibla caused by someone purposely twisting the leg to the point of fracture,” Grider said. “The marks on the child’s neck were conclusive that he was being strangled with a thing object such as a wire or rope. She added that these are very clear signs of physical abuse.”

Holstine appeared for an arraignment Tuesday in Livingston County court.  He is currently being held on $250,000 cash only bond, because he is unable to post bond the court remanded him to the custody of the Daviess/Dekalb Regional Jail.  A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30.