PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Harbor man was arrested after deputies say he struck a 5-year-old boy because he pooped his pants.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, two minor children were in the care and custody of Christopher Hopke, 33, between Wednesday and Friday.
While in Hopke's care, the 5-year-old boy was said to have "pooped" in his pants. According to the arrest report, this angered Hopke, causing him to strike the child. Deputies believe he struck the child with an open hand, causing bruising and a small lump under the child's left eye.
Deputies say that both of the children were rehearsed to say that the victim struck the side of the dresser with his face while wrestling in the bedroom.
The 5-year-old boy was said not to have attended school on Friday because of his visible injury.
Hopke was arrested on Saturday and charged with felony child abuse. He bonded out on a $5,000 bond on Sunday.
