Man arrested for battery

A Bloomington man was arrested Tuesday afternoon for the February battery of an 85-year-old woman he knew through the woman’s daughter.

James A. Vincent, 48, faces charges of battery, violating parole and violating probation in Monroe County for an OWI charge, Bloomington Police Department Lt. David Drake said.
On Feb. 24, Officer Anthony Fosnaugh spoke to a home health care worker who was helping an elderly patient in the 1600 block of North Willis Avenue, Drake said. The worker told Fosnaugh she had been with the woman around 9 a.m. when she saw Vincent grab the woman by both arms, shoving her and violently throwing her arms in front of her, Drake said.

A meal was delivered to the house for the woman, and Vincent began threatening her when she said she wasn’t hungry, Drake said. Vincent then began pouring salt,  pepper and liquid from a bottle of jalapeno peppers on the food. He continued to threaten her and then started laughing, Drake said.

By the time officers arrived at the scene, Vincent had already left. After talking to the woman’s daughter, police found that Vincent was a friend of hers who visited often, Drake said. She told officers she did not know how to get a hold of him.

On Tuesday, the woman at the same location told Fosnaugh Vincent was not there, but Fosnaugh found Vincent hiding in a bathroom, Drake said.

Vincent admitted to putting jalapeno sauce on the food but denied forcing the woman to eat it, Drake said. Vincent told Fosnaugh he had been angry because he thought the home care worker was not paying enough attention to the woman.