CLEARFIELD – A West Decatur man said he “snapped” when he assaulted his elderly father in December.
Robert Dwayne Straw, 60, was in court Monday to plead guilty to abuse of care dependant person, a misdemeanor.
According to the affidavit, Straw called 911 reporting that he had beat up his dad and needed an ambulance.
When police arrived, the victim was lying on his hospital bed, sideways with his feet hanging off the side. He had “open skin tears on both wrists, a severely swollen shut and bruised right eye and blood coming from his right ear.” He told the troopers his son had assaulted him.
He was transported UPMC Altoona’s trauma center.
In his interview with investigators, Straw said when he came home, his father said he had to use the bathroom causing Straw to snap and start striking the victim.
In court Monday, Straw told Judge Fredric J. Ammerman that he was “sorry for what I’ve done.” He explained that he was the only one caring for his father for years and “couldn’t handle it anymore” and “snapped.”
His attorney, Jendi Straub, stated this was an “unfortunate” case for which Straw is extremely remorseful.
She went on to explain that this was a situation where the victim was home “a little too long” because Straw didn’t want to put him in a nursing facility and it “was too much for him.”
Ammerman sentenced Straw to a minimum of time served, which is 75 days to one year in the county jail with three years probation.