The man charged in the beating death of Adrian Peterson’s son is facing new charges, accused of attacking the boy’s mother, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader says.
Police arrested and charged Joseph Patterson, 28, with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, interference with emergency communication and third-degree injury to property Wednesday morning, KELO reports.
Patterson is accused of choking the child's mother twice early this morning, once causing her to lose consciousness.
— John Hult (@JohnEHult) June 25, 2014
Patterson has been free on a $750,000 bond pending his October trial on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, child abuse and aggravated battery of an infant in the death of 2-year-old Tyrese Robert Ruffin. Patterson was living with the boy and his mother last fall, and on Oct. 9, Patterson called 911 to report that the child wasn’t breathing. The toddler died hours later in the hospital. Prosecutors have said the boy had head injuries consistent with abuse.
His lawyer Tim Rensch has said his client is being blamed for an assault on the boy that didn’t happen.
Patterson had been ordered not to have contact with the boy’s family, NBC Sports reports.
He appeared in court Wednesday where he was held on $1 million cash-only bond and ordered to have no contact with the victim by the defendant, personally or through any third party, John Hult, a reporter for the Argus Leader, wrote on Twitter.
Patterson showing little emotion in court, only nods his head as the judge reads her bond order.
— John Hult (@JohnEHult) June 25, 2014
The Vikings running back has said he learned he was the father of the boy just a few months before the toddler’s death.
“I just said I was sorry,” Peterson told ESPN, of the moment when he first saw his son in the hospital. “Didn’t quite know at the time what I was sorry for, but I told him that I loved him.”
Click back here for more details on this developing story.
