A warrant has been issued in Greene County for the arrest of a Switz City man who didn’t show up at his initial hearing after he’d bonded out of jail following his last arrest on September 1.

James Robert Kent, 32, Switz City, was arrested on Sunday, September 1, and booked in to jail by Officer Adam King of the Linton Police Department.

Kent’s bond was set at $1,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed and he posted $100, was released and given a date of Thursday, September 12, to be in court for his initial hearing on a preliminary charge of battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

Kent failed to appear at the hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest that same day.

The charge stems from an incident on Saturday, August 31. Officer King was first to respond to a report of battery in Linton. LPD Officer Nick Yingling, the investigating officer, arrived next and prepared the probable cause affidavit filed in this case.

Kent was accused of battering a woman as they were walking from the area of the library to her home on 4th Street SE.

When Officer Yingling interviewed the woman, she allegedly said the two were in a relationship and had gotten into an argument which became physical as they were walking. She said she was hit multiple times in the face with a closed fist and her glasses were broken. She also said she thought she had scratched him in an effort to defend herself. She said once they reached her house, she tried to get him to leave but he refused.

When Officer Yingling arrived, Kent was sitting across the street from the woman’s residence. When Yingling talked to Kent, he said he did not hit the woman and would never hit a woman. Kent was unable to tell the officer how the woman got marks on her face.

Officer Yingling reported Kent did have fresh scratch marks on his left cheek. He also reported the woman was bleeding from her lip and had a bruise on her right eye.

Officer King transported Kent to the Greene County Jail.   

As of Monday, September 23, the warrant was still outstanding, but when Kent is in custody, this case is not the only one pending against him.

In July, Kent was charged with domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and interference with the reporting of a crime, also a Class A misdemeanor. He is scheduled to be in court for a change of plea hearing in this case on October 9.

Also in July, in a third case, he was charged with identity deception, a Level 6 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. In that case, he was supposed to be in court for a pre-trial conference on September 10 but he was a no show and a second warrant was issued for his arrest in addition to the warrant issued in the most recent case.