BARRE — A Granite City man is accused of choking a child.
Zachary James Brown, 26, pleaded not guilty by video Tuesday in Washington County criminal court in Barre to felony counts of cruelty to a child with serious bodily injury resulting and first-degree aggravated domestic assault. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Washington County State’s Attorney Michelle Donnelly had filed a motion seeking to have Brown held without bail while the case against him is pending. But after hearing from Brown’s father, Judge Kirstin Schoonover opted to release Brown to the custody of his father, where the father will act as a responsible adult and could face his own criminal charges if he doesn’t report violations of Brown’s conditions of release.
Cpl. Amos Gaylord, of the Barre City police, said in his affidavit a woman called police on Dec. 22 from Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin reporting Brown had choked his 2-year-old child. Gaylord said the woman, who is the child’s mother, reported she came home and found the child had a split lip. He said the mother reported Brown was alone with the child at the time.
The woman reported she saw what appeared to be a thumb and hand print on the child’s neck, according to court records. Gaylord said the woman reported it appeared the injuries came from someone who is left-handed, and noted Brown is left-handed. He said the woman reported Brown told her the child fell, which caused the split lip.
Gaylord said the woman reported she asked Brown about the child’s neck injuries and was told the child must have “whacked it on something.”
He said the woman reported another incident, about a year prior, where Brown bit the child.
Gaylord said the hospital provided photos of the child’s neck, which showed bruising that could have come from being grabbed around the neck
He said the child was later transferred to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington to check for possible internal injuries.
He said police located Brown driving on Washington Street and pulled him over because he had a headlight out. Gaylord said Brown reported his son likes to “bang his head” on things and had fallen to the floor when he injured his lip.
He said Brown reported he had to restrain the child and the child was “fighting” him, but denied choking the child.
Gaylord said Brown denied hurting the child, though he did admit to biting the child about a year ago.
