WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — A man is facing battery and child cruelty charges after Wakulla County deputies say he assaulted a woman and a 2-year-old child.
The Wakulla County Sheriff's office says that they were called to 23-year-old Christopher Bryant's home on Tuesday regarding a domestic disturbance.
When they spoke to the adult female victim, she said that Bryant had assaulted her and left the area before deputies arrived. She told investigators that Bryant had come to the home intoxicated, sparking an argument between them.
At some point during the altercation, the victim said Bryant pushed her down onto the couch and held her down while he continued shouting at her. When he let her up, the victim exited the house with a two-year-old child in her arms.
Deputies say Bryant followed the victim outside and tried to take her cell phone.
"The adult female stated that after she called a friend to come get her, she threw her cellular telephone into the woods to keep [Bryant] from taking it," deputies wrote.
When Bryant couldn't find the cell phone, the victim said he became enraged and threw her to the ground while she was holding the child, causing her to fall on top of the child. According to WCSO, pictures taken of the victim and child depicted injuries consistent with the victim's account of the incident.
During an investigation, deputies learned that this wasn't the first time Bryant was accused of assaulting the same victim. They say he's also accused of smashing the victim's cell phone in September 2018 and assaulting her on April 15, 2019.
Friday morning, Bryant was located at the probation office in Crawfordville.
"CID Detectives interviewed [Bryant] and provided him the opportunity to provide his version of the events, but [Bryant] only responded that the adult female’s account was 'bull&%$t.'"
Based on the evidence, Bryant was arrested on two counts of battery and one count of child cruelty. He was booked into the Wakulla County Jail.
