A Peoria father is facing child abuse charges for beating his daughter with a belt because she threw a rock at another family member, police say.
Joshua Hatfield, 30, was arrested on Wednesday, May 25 and booked into the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail on three counts of child abuse.
According to the police report, authorities were called to the child's school earlier this week after bruising was found on child's body, including her head, neck, arms and legs. A 10-inch bruise was observed on the child's right leg and thigh.
Hatfield said he disciplined the child with a belt three times at his Peoria home despite being shown multiple pictures of the child's injuries, according to the report.
He said the child was active, falls of her scooter and wrestles a lot with another family member and that he lost his temper.
Hatfield told child welfare workers that he was a Marine and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He said he was seeking counseling through the VA, but that it was not an excuse for what he did.
"I know what happened there is no excuse for, I lost my temper last night. No excuse. There is no excuse for this no matter what household it is in," he reportedly told detectives.
He faces three counts of child abuse.
