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UPDATE: Men Charged in Pro-Wrestling-Style Attack Plead Guilty

By: jeremy.edwards@wsaz.com Email
Updated: Mon 5:39 PM, Aug 13, 2012

UPDATE 8/13/12 @ 1:45 p.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Two men, known as hard-core wrestling fans, face jail time after police say they practiced their moves on a toddler.

Andrew Young and James Miller were set to go on trial Monday, but instead pleaded guilty to a much lesser charge. During a hearing, Young and Miller pleaded guilty to two counts of battery, which is a misdemeanor. Two other charges against the pair were dropped.

They face up to two years in jail -- one year for each count.

The men were arrested in 2010 after police say they were practicing wrestling moves on a two-year-old girl. The girl's mother took her to the hospital the next day, where doctors discovered bruises and a fractured leg.

Miller and Young are scheduled for sentencing in October.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.



ORIGINAL STORY
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Two hard-core wrestling fans are behind bars. South Charleston police say the men were practicing their moves on a toddler and caused severe bruising and a fractured leg.

The 2-year-old girl is still in the hospital.

The men were planning on going to the pro-wrestling show in Charleston on Friday. Instead they were picked up by police.

"He wasn't very happy," South Charleston Police Detective A.R. Gordon says. "I guess he was looking forward to this wrestling event that was going to be here tonight. That's probably not going to happen at this point."

Police have arrested Andrew Young and James Miller and charged each of them with child neglect creating the risk of injury, which is a felony.

Young wasn't shy when we asked him questions, playing it up for the camera.

"Love you maw maw, I'm famous!" Young yelled into the camera.

He says he was just playing with the little girl.

"I choke slammed her," Young says. "But I didn't hurt her. She didn't cry after I did it."

"It was playing around," Miller says. "It's stuff I've done forever."

Miller and Young were at a friends apartment in South Charleston, wrestling with the little girl earlier this week. The toddler's mom took her to the hospital the next day. Doctors immediately called police because police say the injuries were inconsistent with what the mother told doctors.

"Apparently they're both huge wrestling fans and they even claim the 2-year-old was a fan and enjoyed doing these things with them," Gordon says. "But obviously, that can't happen if someone is going to be injured in the way she was injured, especially a 2-year-old."

Miller and Young were talking about posting bond in time to see themselves on TV as they awaited their arraignment. However, their demeanors quickly changed after Magistrate Pete Lopez set their bond at $100,000 cash or property.

The mother also may be charged because she was home when the toddler was injured.


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