Man pleads not guilty after allegedly choking and beating woman, two children
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IDAHO FALLS – An Iowa man was charged with two felonies after reportedly hitting and choking a woman and two children in Idaho Falls.
John Richard Wiles, 40, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday after being charged with felony domestic violence battery and felony injury to a child.
On March 3, Idaho Falls Police responded to a domestic disturbance at the Motel 6 in Idaho Falls. The desk clerk at the motel said there had been “numerous” noise complaints about one of the rooms, where people reported “screaming from the room and a male was beating children.”
The clerk reportedly tried to contact the tenants in the room but there was no answer.
When police arrived at the room, a woman answered the door and told them Wiles had left about 20 minutes before officers arrived. When interviewed by the officers, the woman said that she, Wiles and a baby had been lying on the bed. Wiles thought one of the other children in the room, a six-year-old, had hit the baby, so he picked up the six-year-old “by the neck and started hitting him.”
According to police reports, “(Wiles) was on top of (the child) hitting him and (the woman) was telling him to stop.”
Wiles allegedly hit the woman in the leg and called her a “stupid b****”. He then hit a 10-year-old that was in the room and left.
When police interviewed the six-year-old, he told police that Wiles was “beating (him) up a lot.” He said that Wiles “hits them every time they are at their camper”.
Police reports say that the six-year-old had scratches all over his face, shoulders and neck. He had red, swollen marks on his head and cheeks and bruises on his left cheek and jaw. There were also red marks and bruising along the front of the child’s neck.
The woman and both children told police that Wiles had choked the six-year-old to the point that it caused him to throw up. According to police, there were towels on the floor and the bed that were used to clean up the vomit.
The 10-year-old told police that Wiles had hit him in the face with his hand and with a shoe. This child also had red marks on both sides of his face, bruising along his jaw line, scratches on his cheeks, and marks on his arms.
The woman had a red mark on her leg where Wiles had allegedly hit her and it was beginning to bruise.
Police searched the area for Wiles but were unable to find him. A warrant was issued for his arrest and Wiles appeared in court for his initial appearance on April 14. A no-contact order was issued for the victim, and his bail was set at $50,000. He was later released to pretrial supervision.
On June 14, Wiles was charged with violating the no-contact order after officers found him camping with the victims. Wiles told officers they were currently homeless and were receiving assistance from several community organizations. He was arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail that night.
On June 22, one of the victims requested that the court modify or dismiss the no-contact order. The court modified the order, but it is unclear what the changes were. On June 29, the court dismissed the felony charge of injury to a child.
Though Wiles has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
A jury trial for Wiles is set for Sept. 12. If convicted, Wiles could spend 10 years in prison.