SEYMOUR, Ind. – The Seymour Police Department (SPD) arrested two men on several charges including, battery, strangulation, and kidnapping early Saturday morning.
Officers were called to the 600 block of East Oak Street in reference to a possible battery at around 4:45 a.m., per SPD’s Lt. C.J. Foster. The female victim supposedly told police that her boyfriend had battered her, strangled her, taken her phone, and taken the child they had together. The boyfriend had also allegedly made threats to harm the child. The victim was taken to Schneck Medical Center by Jackson County Ambulance to be treated for injuries.
Before the process of entering the child as missing was completed, officers found the suspect’s vehicle. The driver, identified as Daniel Gaspar Lopez- Mendoza, was taken into custody. The child was not in the car.
SPD learned that the father had supposedly given the child to Josue Francisco Canay-Rivera, who took the child back to the residence but then left. Canay-Rivera told investigators that Lopez-Mendoza allegedly told him not to let the police in if they came to the apartment, per Lt. Foster. The child was found at the home, apparently unharmed, but was taken to Schneck for evaluation.
Lopez-Mendoza, 23, of Seymour, was charged with kidnapping, (level 5 felony), domestic battery (level 6 felony), strangulation, (level 6 felony), intimidation, (level 6 felony), and interfering with reporting a crime, (misdemeanor). Canay-Rivera, 20, of Seymour, was booked for child neglect, (level 6 felony).
Investigators are currently conducting follow-up interviews and additional charges are expected.