BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A North Dakota man could spend up to a decade in prison after admitting that he punched a 4-year-old child in the face.
Thirty-four-year-old Lionel Dunn has pleaded guilty to a felony child abuse charge stemming from the October incident. An aggravated assault charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal.
Authorities say the Fort Totten man punched a 24-year-old woman in the face and kicked her in the stomach during an argument during an October night. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities say the following night, Dunn got into another altercation with the woman and another woman, and punched the child when the child attempted to intervene.
Dunn's sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 18.