The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a brutal battery incident that occurred Saturday night.
Officers and the Pulaski County EMS were called to a residence on State Road 14 in Winamac after a woman had called requesting medical attention. She said her ex-boyfriend, James Penicaro, held her against her will for two hours. When emergency personnel arrived on scene, they found the woman severely beaten with injuries to her face and head and other minor injuries to the rest of her body.
The victim told police that she was spending the night at Penicaro’s house and they both had been drinking. She refused to engage in sexual activity and he punched her before reportedly destroying her phone so she couldn’t call for help. She got away and ran into the bathroom to tend to her injuries. She was then able to leave the house and call for help at the neighbor’s house.
She was transported to Pulaski Memorial Hospital for treatment. She suffered a facial fracture and several lacerations required stitches. A search warrant and an arrest warrant were issued.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department along with the Prosecutor’s Office continue to investigate this case.
