A man punched a child while wrapping Christmas presents in Little River and grabbed a nurse after going to the hospital, a police report says.
Officers responded to the area of Carriage Lane in Little River around 1 p.m. on Sunday in response to a psych call, according to an incident report from the Horry County Police Department. Upon arriving, the complainant and a man, identified as 40-year-old John Kelley O’Brien of Charleston, South Carolina, were on the front porch of the home and the victim, a 5-year-old boy, was inside with a witness.
The complainant and witness told officers that O’Brien had turned violent while they were wrapping Christmas presents and that they didn’t know what provoked the violence, the report says. Both also said O’Brien punched the child in the chest area, causing small lacerations and bruises. The complainant further stated he pulled O’Brien off of the child and restrained O’Brien until he calmed down.
O’Brien and the complainant also stated they were drinking Kratom tea earlier in the day, according to the report. O’Brien stated to officers that he was hearing voices in his head and the complainant reported that O’Brien had said the same thing to him earlier.
O’Brien volunteered to go the hospital by ambulance and officers notified DSS, who came to check on the child, says the report. At the hospital, O’Brien “became agitated and grabbed the nurse that was drawing his blood.” O’Brien was later released from the hospital, arrested, and taken to J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
According to J. Reuben Long Detention Center booking records, O’Brien was booked around 3:48 p.m. on Sunday and remains in the center. He is charged with unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person by legal custodian. No bail has been set.