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A Marshall County man with custody of his 8-year-old son despite allegations of abuse -- and three current criminal charges, one involving the boy -- has been banned from any contact with his live-in girlfriend's 6-year-old daughter as part of the girlfriend's recent divorce ruling.
In a March 12 order, Marshall County Senior Judge Steven King determined the girl's father should have sole legal and physical custody of her.
King granted the mother visitation, he wrote, "subject to the condition that at all times that she exercises parenting time with the minor child, she does so outside of the presence of a certain Christopher Warren.
Evidence established she has failed to do so in the past and that Christopher Warren has, in the past, drawn a Nazi symbol on the child's forehead, attempted to run (the girl's father) off the road, and has a history of drunk driving."
That custody ruling came down about the same time earlier this year when Indiana Department of Child Services authorities were preparing an agreement with Warren and his girlfriend over the most recent claim that Warren abused his son. The Tribune detailed those developments in an article June 24, and a February article outlined the earlier allegations against the 28-year-old Warren.
In August 2010 and in November 2011, school officials reported injuries on the boy to DCS.
After the 2011 incident, DCS asked Judge Curtis Palmer to declare the boy a Child in Need of Services -- a ward of the state -- and remove him from his father. But Palmer refused, explaining in his Jan. 17 order that Warren had denied hitting the boy, describing the injuries as minor and citing the boy's need for therapy.
After Warren admitted hitting his son in the mouth in late February because the child had lied about eating a piece of chocolate, DCS drew up an Informal Agreement with Warren and his girlfriend. Palmer signed the document, which was filed April 26.
Law enforcement was not notified of the most recent abuse allegation. But prosecutors had charged Warren with battery in the 2010 and 2011 incidents, later dropping one of the cases without explanation.
Yet Warren still carries two other active criminal cases - both set for hearings later this month - in addition to the battery charge involving his son:
* A Class A misdemeanor of criminal mischief was filed Nov. 30, 2010, alleging Warren "did slash the tires on the parked vehicle" of three people.
* Charges of criminal mischief and battery, both misdemeanors, were filed May 12, 2011, alleging Warren broke out the windows of a man's vehicle and then struck the man "with his hands about the face and arms."
Contacted last week, Warren declined to comment for this article, instead referring to his attorney.
Asked whether he suggested a reporter contact the public defender representing him in his three criminal cases, Warren replied in a threat to sue the newspaper, "Just because I have a public defender, don't think I don't have the means to pay for an attorney. ...
"Why should I use my own money," he asked rhetorically of being granted a public defender, "to fight" baseless allegations against him?
In a February interview, Warren denied he is guilty of the other charges against him or of abusing his son. He said, instead, that the boy's mother has persuaded him to lie.
Other pieces
Meanwhile, Marshall County Special Judge Robert Bowen on June 27 issued a court order that the boy's mother, Amber McNeal, may regain visitations with her son supervised by her mother, Debra Blackwell.
During the first visit, on July 4, Marshall County Sheriff's Department event reports document that deputies were called to the trailer park where Warren lives and where McNeal and Blackwell arrived to pick up and drop off the boy.
In a March 12 order, Marshall County Senior Judge Steven King determined the girl's father should have sole legal and physical custody of her.
Evidence established she has failed to do so in the past and that Christopher Warren has, in the past, drawn a Nazi symbol on the child's forehead, attempted to run (the girl's father) off the road, and has a history of drunk driving."
That custody ruling came down about the same time earlier this year when Indiana Department of Child Services authorities were preparing an agreement with Warren and his girlfriend over the most recent claim that Warren abused his son. The Tribune detailed those developments in an article June 24, and a February article outlined the earlier allegations against the 28-year-old Warren.
In August 2010 and in November 2011, school officials reported injuries on the boy to DCS.
After the 2011 incident, DCS asked Judge Curtis Palmer to declare the boy a Child in Need of Services -- a ward of the state -- and remove him from his father. But Palmer refused, explaining in his Jan. 17 order that Warren had denied hitting the boy, describing the injuries as minor and citing the boy's need for therapy.
After Warren admitted hitting his son in the mouth in late February because the child had lied about eating a piece of chocolate, DCS drew up an Informal Agreement with Warren and his girlfriend. Palmer signed the document, which was filed April 26.
Law enforcement was not notified of the most recent abuse allegation. But prosecutors had charged Warren with battery in the 2010 and 2011 incidents, later dropping one of the cases without explanation.
Yet Warren still carries two other active criminal cases - both set for hearings later this month - in addition to the battery charge involving his son:
* A Class A misdemeanor of criminal mischief was filed Nov. 30, 2010, alleging Warren "did slash the tires on the parked vehicle" of three people.
* Charges of criminal mischief and battery, both misdemeanors, were filed May 12, 2011, alleging Warren broke out the windows of a man's vehicle and then struck the man "with his hands about the face and arms."
Contacted last week, Warren declined to comment for this article, instead referring to his attorney.
Asked whether he suggested a reporter contact the public defender representing him in his three criminal cases, Warren replied in a threat to sue the newspaper, "Just because I have a public defender, don't think I don't have the means to pay for an attorney. ...
"Why should I use my own money," he asked rhetorically of being granted a public defender, "to fight" baseless allegations against him?
In a February interview, Warren denied he is guilty of the other charges against him or of abusing his son. He said, instead, that the boy's mother has persuaded him to lie.
Other pieces
Meanwhile, Marshall County Special Judge Robert Bowen on June 27 issued a court order that the boy's mother, Amber McNeal, may regain visitations with her son supervised by her mother, Debra Blackwell.
During the first visit, on July 4, Marshall County Sheriff's Department event reports document that deputies were called to the trailer park where Warren lives and where McNeal and Blackwell arrived to pick up and drop off the boy.
