Local man accused of beating girl with belt, leaving bruises

James Chalkley, 31, charged with injury to child

SAN ANTONIO – An alert teacher at a local elementary school has helped bring an alleged case of child abuse to light.

As a result, Bexar County sheriff's deputies arrested James Chalkley, 31, on a charge of injury to a child.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the teacher noticed bruising on a student's back when the girl reached for a box of crayons, then notified authorities.

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Sheriff's investigators who responded to the call Sept. 19, along with an investigator from Child Protective Services, said they noticed additional bruises, in various stages of healing, on the girl's legs and arms.  

They also questioned her and her older sister.

Both children told detectives that their father beat them with a belt or "switch" when they misbehaved, the affidavit said.

It said the older sister said that their father told them they bruise easily, and that CPS wants to get him in trouble and break up their family.

The affidavit said CPS removed both girls and a toddler-aged brother from the home.

Chalkley was booked into jail Thursday.


About the Authors:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT.