A State College man entered a no contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault against a 9-year-old victim.
Sisay Shimelis, 48, entered the plea to Centre County Judge David Grine on Tuesday, a day before a jury trial had been scheduled.
The 9-year-old and her 3-year-old sister were playing and rough-housing when Shimelis reportedly separated the two and placed the 3-year-old in timeout. When the victim intervened Shimelis allegedly ‘pushed the victim against the wall with such force that she struck her head and fell to the floor,’ according to court documents. Shimelis reportedly then hit the back of the victim’s legs.
The girls’ mother told police that her daughter complained of head pains and dizziness after the incident. The victim was treated for a concussion at Mount Nittany Medical Center and Shimelis was arrested after police were called by a Children and Youth Services employee.
Sentencing will be scheduled after a pre-sentence investigation is completed.
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