by Nic Flosi
INDIANA - A former caretaker at a Hammond group home has been found guilty of battering a disabled resident during a 2022 incident, according to prosecutors.
Caretaker guilty in Hammond assault case
The backstory: A jury convicted Juan Quintiones Joyce on several counts, including battery resulting in bodily injury to a disabled person, a Level 5 felony.
Juan Quintiones Joyce
The charges stem from an incident at an In-Pact group home in the 1700 block of 171st Street. Prosecutors said the victim, a 45-year-old resident, suffered visible facial injuries.
Dig deeper: According to police reports, surveillance video captured the moments leading up to and during the attack. Investigators said the footage showed Joyce placing his hand on the resident’s back and guiding him from the kitchen to the living room while telling him to sit down.
Police said the resident returned to the kitchen moments later, sat down and grabbed a piece of paper from the table. Joyce then took the paper from him and told him to "get out of here before we wrestle."
The video shows Joyce asking the resident if he was ready to wrestle while moving a chair and the table away, police said.
Joyce is then heard saying, "get your a** up and let’s go." He walks toward the resident, swats at him with his hand and grabs him in an attempt to remove him from the kitchen.
A struggle ensues, and the resident falls to the floor. He then runs to the living room, where the confrontation continues. The video shows Joyce punching the resident multiple times in the face and torso after the resident grabbed Joyce’s shirt while pinned down with a padded kick-shield.
The altercation then ends. The video shows Joyce giving the resident a frozen item from the freezer to place on his face and later offering water.
Several minutes after the scuffle, investigators said Joyce was heard on the phone describing the victim’s swelling, saying, "He swelled up. He kinda swelled up, he f***ed himself up." He added, "I kinda had to elbow him to get him off of me and I kind of left a bruise on his face."
He then said, "Nah, he tried to bite my shirt and sh*t, you’ll see it."
Officers who responded days later reported seeing bruising under the victim’s eye and cheek. Photos were taken to document the injuries.
The victim, who has autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and a history of self-injurious behavior, had lived in the group home for years, according to his legal guardian.
Joyce was fired from his job shortly after the incident was discovered.
What they're saying: "This verdict reflects the commitment of our office and our law enforcement partners to protecting vulnerable members of our community and holding offenders accountable," Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said in a statement.
What's next: Joyce now faces sentencing, but it remains unclear when he is due back in court.
Full Article & Source:
Former Indiana caretaker found guilty in beating of disabled resident caught on video
