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Sheriff: Man hits child, 2, outside Bulloch DFCS
Father arrested, charged with cruelty to children
JESSIE L. SMITH
Jessie L. Smith - photo by Special
    A man remains behind bars without bond after punching his two-year-old in the Department of Family and Children Services,  said Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson.
    Jessie L. Smith, 25, Lanier Drive, was charged with cruelty to children, he said.
    Smith was at the DFCS office when he, for an unknown reason, snatched the child up and took him outside. Witnesses said he punched the child, then threw him into the back seat of a car before locking him in, Anderson said.
    Then, Smith “walked back inside and finished taking care of his business,” he said.
    Someone at the DFCS office called 911, but Smith, along with a woman (the child’s mother) and three children, including the victim, left the area before responding deputies could arrive, he said.
    Deputy Julie Taylor  made a traffic stop on West Main Street, and escorted Smith, the woman and children back to the DFCS office for identification. DFCS caseworkers also examined the child, he said.
    “The child had very minor, superficial injuries” and did not require medical treatment, he said.
    Smith was taken into custody and transported to the Bulloch County Jail, held without bond, he said. The case remains under investigation and “additional charges are pending,” he said.

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