SW Indiana man pleads guilty to abusing elderly disabled man

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A southwestern Indiana man has pleaded guilty to charges that he put an elderly disabled man in a headlock and otherwise abused him while working as his caregiver in 2017.

William Putty, 27, pleaded guilty Monday to 11 felony counts of battery to a disabled person causing bodily injury without reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors. The Newburgh man's sentencing is scheduled for April 3.

Putty was hired to care for the man, who required around-the-clock care, five days a week. The man's guardian told police he had autism, cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and was seizure-prone, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.

Putty was fired after the guardian saw video from cameras installed in the man's residence that allegedly showed Putty placing the man in a headlock and bending his fingers back to the point of pain. That alleged abuse occurred in August and September of 2017. Putty was charged in January 2018.