A Linton man accused of battering his pregnant girlfriend appeared in Greene Circuit Court on Monday, where a judge set his bond at $10,000 surety with 10% cash allowed.

Anibal Geovani Lopez-Monge, 35, is charged with Level 5 felony domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a pregnant woman.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the investigation began Aug. 15 after a female victim arrived at the Linton Police Department to report she had been struck by her boyfriend earlier that afternoon.

Because of a language barrier, officers used Google Translate to communicate with the female. She told officers the incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. after she returned home and an argument began. According to the affidavit, she said Lopez-Monge struck her on her upper right arm near her shoulder.

Investigators photographed the alleged injury and also received photographs the victim had taken on her cellphone through the department's digital evidence system.

According to court documents, the victim told officers she was approximately two months pregnant and that Lopez-Monge knew she was pregnant. She also told investigators the couple lived together and that this was the first time he had allegedly struck her.

Police later went to the couple's residence on Northwest 11th Street to speak with Lopez-Monge.

According to the affidavit, Lopez-Monge initially told officers the contact was accidental and demonstrated how his arm struck the victim. He later denied striking her. When asked whether he knew the victim was pregnant, he allegedly told officers he did not know, although he acknowledged he was probably the father of the child.

After interviewing Lopez-Monge, officers placed him under arrest. Court documents state the couple's 4-year-old daughter was at the residence when officers arrived, and officers remained with the child until her mother arrived to pick her up.

The Indiana Department of Child Services was notified because children were present during the incident, according to the affidavit.

The following day, investigators received additional information from the Department of Child Services regarding an allegation that another child had redness on their cheek. According to the affidavit, officers did not observe any redness during their initial response, but photographs were later provided to investigators and added to the case file.

Lopez-Monge appeared in Greene Circuit Court on Aug. 18 for his initial hearing. His bond was set at $10,000 surety with 10% cash allowed.