A local man was arrested Thursday on a felony battery charge stemming from allegations he punched his 7-year-old son and later told the boy and his older brother to lie about his injury.
Kristofer Jordan Burton, 37, who lists a Leach Street address, turned himself in at the Hot Springs Police Department after learning of the warrant for second-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Burton was later released on a $15,000 bond and is set to appear July 1 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on June 1, the victim, 7, and his brother, 8, reported to school staff at Main Street Visual and Performing Arts that their father, identified as Burton, had punched the younger son in the eye.
After reporting the injury, the older brother stated he was supposed to lie about what happened. The 7-year-old had a visible injury in the form of discoloration and swelling to his left eye, the affidavit said.
That same day, Hot Springs police responded to the Leach Street residence to conduct a welfare check and spoke to Burton, who stated his son had tripped and fell into a door, striking his face. He said he did not witness the incident, but it was "probably the bedroom door."
Burton later reportedly told Arkansas Department of Human Service investigators he had told his children to lie about what happened. He stated that on May 30, the two boys were getting ready for church and he got upset because they weren't getting ready fast enough.
He said he "threw his hands down in frustration" and accidentally struck the 7-year-old in the face with his hand.
On Wednesday, both boys were interviewed at the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center and the older brother stated they were told to lie about what happened. He stated Burton punched his brother in the face in the bedroom.
The 7-year-old told the interviewer he was walking out of the front door with his dad and brother behind him and "tripped into the door." A warrant for Burton's arrest was issued shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday and he later turned himself in.