Bakersfield man charged with child abuse for punching 13-year-old until unconscious

Jared W. Johnston, 44, of Bakersfield, was arrested Feb. 27 on charges of abuse of a child and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with an incident in which he reportedly punched a 13-year-old boy in the back of the head until the boy passed out. He was arraigned Tuesday and released on his own recognizance with the condition that he doesn’t have any contact with the victim. 

According to the probable cause statement filed in the case by Ozark County Sgt. Seth A. Miller, on Feb. 7, the sheriff’s dispatch office had received a call from the Bakersfield School District reporting a missing 13-year-old boy in the Bakersfield area. 

Miller contacted the child’s mother, who said that the boy had run away from home Sunday, Feb. 5, after an altercation with Johnston. 

Miller got the boy’s cell phone number and texted him and asked if he could call him. The boy agreed. 

“I explained the situation to [the boy] and asked if I could pick him up and bring him to the sheriff’s department. [He] agreed and gave me the address of a friend he was staying with. I met with [the boy] and transported him to the sheriff’s department,” Miller’s report says. 

On the way to the OCSD, Miller struck up a conversation with the boy, asking him why he had run away. 

“[He] said [Johnston] had hit him with a closed fist nine times in the back of the head while [he] was in his bedroom. [He] stated he lost consciousness and his mother had tried to get between him and [Johnston]. During this, he stated his mother was also struck in the upper body. [He] stated that his mother instructed his younger  brother, who witnessed the assault, to call 911, which he never did. [He] stated [Johnston] said he would  leave the residence, and there would be no reason to call the police. 

“[The boy] described feeling weak, nauseous and [having] vision problems after the attack and requested to go to the emergency room. [The boy] stated his mother had to help [him] walk to the car. [The boy] later stated he did not wish to go to the ER due to financial reasons. [He] stated he decided the next day to remove himself from the home to prevent further abuse from [Johnston],” Miller’s report says. 

The officer spoke with the boy’s mother again at 3 p.m. Feb. 7. The officer read her Miranda rights and asked to speak with her. She agreed, the report says.  Miller told the mother what the boy had said, and the mother confirmed the allegations, the report says.