By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

marcie@bradfordera.com

A Port Allegany man was jailed following arraignment Wednesday for allegedly dragging a 3-year-old through the house by his arm, causing significant injury.

Garret J. Homell, 31, of 117 Chestnut St., is charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, second- degree felonies; simple assault, a first-degree misdemeanor; recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor; and harassment, a summary offense.

According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 27, state police were called to Bradford Regional Medical Center for a report of a 3-year-old male who had been injured by a caregiver. The child’s foster mother told police the boy had been with Homell for two days, along with Homell’s two children. When Jones picked up the child, Homell said the boy had bruises on him, but “he was not beat up” by Homell.

When she got home, she saw swelling around the child’s eyes and when she got him ready for bed, she noticed bruising “basically from head to toe,” the complaint stated. According to the hospital report, he had contusions on his face, forehead, nose and cheeks, bruising on his arms, legs, right foot, forehead and face. Medical personnel noted the boy’s eyes had swollen shut, the complaint stated.

State police interviewed Homell’s wife, who had been out of town with Jones. She said her husband told her the boy was kicked in the face while sleeping and that he had fallen off the bed. Jones asked the boy what happened, and he said Homell “was mean to him and hit him,” the complaint stated. The boy said he had an accident in his pants and on the floor and Homell hit and kicked him. While being interviewed by state police, Homell said after the child’s accident, he grabbed the child by the arm, pulling him toward the downstairs bathroom. Homell said the child’s face hit the kitchen table and chair as he was pulling him. He admitted to police that he pulled the child too hard.

The child was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh on Jan. 31 for evaluation. The medical records indicated the “extensive injuries involving several body areas are diagnostic of inflicted trauma,” and said if the child was returned to that area, he was at risk for future injury, potentially fatal injury, the complaint stated.

Homell was arrested and arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Rich Luther, and remanded to jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Central Court on May 22.