An argument about taking out a loan escalated to an arrest on a domestic violence charge for a 19-year-old Linton man. 

Deputy James Carpenter of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a West Terre Haute Road residence in Worthington on July 16 in regards to a domestic battery incident. 

The victim reported the incident occurred about an hour and a half prior. Upon arrival, Deputy Carpenter noted scratch marks on the outside of each forearm as well as a swollen right eye. He also observed red marks on the inner side of both arms at the elbow. 

The victim reported she was speaking with Austin Barnes regarding taking out a loan to pay back money that had been borrowed. Barnes said he didn’t want to take out a loan and the victim responded by calling him a bum. The victim said she and Barnes then got into a fight. She claimed he flipped her over on her back as they were lying in bed. She said Barnes got upset and got on top of her. She said Barnes held her down by her arms and started hitting her everywhere. She said she put her arms in front of her face in an effort to keep him from hitting her. 

The victim stated their child was screaming in the room next to them while the altercation occurred. 

After the incident, she said Barnes gathered some items and left the residence. She said she waited about an hour and a half to call the police because she was scared. She recently filed for a protective order against Barnes but dropped it. She told Deputy Carpenter there had been previous domestic battery incidents. In regards to the most recent incident, she said her face was on fire when Deputy Carpenter asked her if she was hurt anywhere. 

Using the Life 360 app on her cell phone, she was able to inform Deputy Carpenter of Barnes’ location. 

Deputy Carpenter contacted the Linton Police Department to locate Barnes. Officers Davis Aerne and JR Blazier located Barnes at a restaurant in Linton and transported him to the police department for questioning.

Barnes said the incident began on July 15 when the victim asked him to come over. He said they had broken up because they’d been having problems. He said he didn’t go home after work because they had been arguing, but the victim contacted him around 11 p.m. and asked him to come over. He said she wanted to talk about their relationship but he did not want to talk about it. He said she became upset and began yelling and screaming. He said she flipped over a couch and was running around the couch with a butcher knife threatening to kill herself. He said she went to her car and was going to leave and crash the car but he stopped her from leaving. He said they laid down and ended up falling asleep. 

When he woke up on the 16th, Barnes said the residence was a mess. He said he got up with their child as the victim wanted to sleep a few more hours. He said he was lying in bed with the victim when she brought up the loan. He said he did not want to take out a loan. He said she called him a bum and he grabbed a basket of clothes and put them in his car. 

Deputy Carpenter asked if there was a physical altercation between him and the victim to which Barnes denied. He admitted there had been times in the past but not during this incident. He denied holding her down in the bed. He said they only cuddled in the bed. 

He has been charged with domestic battery in the presence of a child under the age of 16, a Level 6 Felony. 

His bond was set at $1000 surety with 10 percent cash allowed. He posted $100 and was released on July 17.