A 51-year-old Solsberry woman was arrested on preliminary charges of felony domestic battery and confinement following an incident on Aug. 15. 

Sergeant Jordan Allor of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call at a Shady Meadows address in Solsberry following two 911 calls in which the caller would not speak. 

When Allor arrived at the residence, he could hear yelling from inside. He also observed Melissa Puett Sowders looking through a window, standing with her back to the door. When knocking on the door and identifying himself as “sheriff’s department”, he heard a female inside scream for help. 

When inside, Allor located a victim lying on the ground. In the probable cause affidavit, Allor said the victim was hysterical and bleeding from her mouth, nose, elbow, and hands. 

Puett Sowders was arrested on preliminary charges of felony domestic battery in the presence of a child less than 16 years old and felony confinement. 

Indiana State Trooper Richard Klun arrived on scene to assist and along with Allor, they separated Puett Sowders and the victim. 

The victim several times told Allor she did not want her son to be with Puett Sowders. When asked what happened at the residence, she was too hysterical to answer. The victim later told officers she and Puett Sowders were arguing and she had called a friend to come pick her and her son up. The victim said that’s when Puett Sowders began beating her in the doorway. She said she was punching her in the face and pulling her hair. She said Puett Sowders locked the door preventing her from leaving the residence. 

Allor said Puett Sowders was being very evasive in the way she would answer questions and would give broad answers. When talking to her, she said, “I don’t care, I don’t care, whatever you’re saying,” and walked away from Allor. 

Puett Sowders claimed the victim bit her pinky and left middle finger. When asked how she was able to do this, she said her fingers were in the victim’s mouth because the victim was after her. 

Allor questioned Puett Sowders why she was blocking the door from the victim when he arrived. She denied doing so. Allor said he saw her in that position when he arrived. Puett Sowders said maybe she was doing so to keep the victim from clawing and biting her. 

She was arrested on Aug. 15 with bond was set at $8000 surety with 10% cash allowed. 

She will be charged with:

• Domestic Battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, a Level 6 felony

• Confinement, a Level 6 felony