Wertz

A city man was taken into custody after a 15-month-old girl was taken to UPMC Altoona with facial injuries.

Dillon James Wertz, 28, was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones on single felony counts of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children, as well as two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and single misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and making terroristic threats. Unable to post $500,000 bail, he was remanded to the Blair County Prison.

Altoona police officers were dispatched to UPMC Altoona about 11:31 p.m. on Friday for a report of an assault on a 15-month-old child, who was brought in with facial injuries, according to a post from the department’s Facebook page.

Officers learned a verbal altercation between Wertz and an adult female victim turned physical when he punched her in the head and mouth multiple times. Wertz grabbed the victim by her hair, threw her to the floor and began punching the top of her head when the victim tried to get away from him, the post stated.

Wertz began screaming at the victim’s 15-month-old daughter, who was crying. The victim tried to stop Wertz, but Wertz punched the victim in the stomach, causing her to fall to the floor. Wertz then struck the 15-month-old child in the face before the physical altercation stopped. When the victim tried to leave with her child, Wertz locked the door and threatened to burn the house down with everyone inside, the post stated.

Wertz is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in front of Jones on June 25.