A 23-year-old boyfriend is accused of buying three bottles of vodka for his 16-year-old girlfriend. The two started drinking but then got into an altercation that turned physical and police were called.

Chad Arnold Jefferies, 23, Terre Haute, was arrested by Officer Dustin Cain of the Jasonville Police Department last Monday morning, July 27.

Officer Cain was dispatched to an apartment on Fry Street in Jasonville early Monday, July 27, after a father reported his daughter had been battered by her boyfriend, Chad Jefferies. The father said Jefferies had already left and was walking back toward Terre Haute.

Officer Cain reported that when he arrived, he found the alleged victim had swelling around an eye and her glasses were broken. She also had bruising on an arm and on an ankle. Family and others on the scene thought she might have a concussion and an ambulance was called. She was later transported by private vehicle to Sullivan County Community Hospital for treatment.

Officer Cain located Jefferies and interviewed him at the police department, then traveled to Sullivan to interview the victim, and he interviewed the father.

During interviews, Officer Cain was told the father, who said his daughter was 16 and Jefferies was 19, had picked Jefferies up in Terre Haute so Jefferies could stay the weekend with the daughter. The father learned about the battery when he was awakened around 2:30 a.m.

Jefferies, who was actually 23, said that on Sunday, he walked to the liquor store and purchased alcohol for his girlfriend at her request. He said he bought three bottles of vodka and they started drinking around 5 p.m. Sunday night. The two got into an argument and he said his girlfriend started hitting him and then he punched her back.

The alleged victim said Jefferies punched her in the head but she couldn’t remember how many times. She did say she was seeing flashes of light and she was scared.

Jefferies was taken into custody, transported and booked into the Greene County Jail at 8:16 a.m. His bond was set at $1,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He has since posted bond and been released.

Jefferies is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing on August 10. He is facing preliminary charges of battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor, and furnishing alcohol to a minor, a Class B misdemeanor.