Arkansas City man arrested on warrant for child abuse

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — An Arkansas City man was arrested Wednesday by the Arkansas City Police Department on a Cowley County District Court warrant for abuse of a child.

Austin Joe Warford, 19, was arrested on suspicion of child abuse. He was transported to and booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield in lieu of $4,000 bond through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City. Warford remained in custody at the time of this release.

A defendant’s guilt or innocence is to be determined by a court of law.

Police responded about 12:30 p.m. Monday to South Central Kansas Medical Center for a report of an infant with a broken leg. They learned a 24-day-old infant had suffered a spiral fracture to the leg.

The child was transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for specialized care. The infant also was placed into police protective custody due to the nature of the injury and related circumstances.

Police gathered information and conducted multiple interviews regarding the incident. In the course of the investigation, they determined the infant was injured while in the care of the mother’s boyfriend.

Information regarding this case was presented to the Cowley County Attorney’s Office for review.

A warrant was issued for Warford’s arrest and served two days after the incident was reported.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to call Arkansas City Police Department Sgt. Eric Mata at (620) 441-4444.

Those wishing to remain anonymous may contact Cowley County Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Call (620) 442-7777 in Arkansas City or (620) 221-7777 in Winfield, or visit www.tipsubmit.com to make an anonymous report. An anonymous tip also can be submitted by texting ACTIPS to 847411.