Lang
9/4/26
A plea deal has been reached in the case of an Iowa City man accused of choking a child with such force that the girl required medical intubation.
Iowa City Police say on the morning of June 19th 45-year-old Charles Smith…who lists his address as CommUnity Crisis Services on Gilbert Court…grabbed a child around the neck at the Town & Campus Apartments on Arthur Street. He allegedly lifted the girl off the ground and choked her hard enough that her eyeballs bulged from their sockets, blood vessels burst in the whites of her eyes, and her mouth and airway became swollen to the point she required intubation.
Two of Smith’s juvenile children were present for the incident. They allegedly identified the perpetrator as “Chucky”, which is what they call Smith.
Smith is charged with two counts of Child Endangerment Causing Injury and one of Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury. If convicted, he would have faced a maximum of 20 years in prison. But online records show Smith reached a plea deal late last month. Terms are not listed, and a sentencing date is set for October 19th.
Smith has a history of Iowa City assaults.