Elkhart man accused of strangling children, threatening to hurt them

ELKHART, Ind. – A man was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly strangled three children and threatened to harm them, the Elkhart Police Department reported.

At 4:19 a.m., officers were called to the 1200 block of County Road 15 for an incident.

Officers approached a residence in the area and saw a man walking away from them.

The man was told to stop but he allegedly did not and said he would not stop, reports said.

The man then walked into his residence.

A 13-year-old and five-year-old approached the officers and said they were okay but that their father had just battered and strangled them and their 14-year-old sister, according to reports.

The father was identified as the man who had just walked into his residence.

One of the kids said that while the man was strangling the 14-year-old, the 13-year-old and five-year-old left the residence.

All three children said they had been strangled by the man and the 13-year-old said she was still having trouble breathing, according to police.

Medics arrived and took the children to the hospital for treatment.

The children also said the man threatened to slit their throats, reports said.

Officers surrounded the residence the man was in and obtained a search warrant to enter and arrest him.

The man, identified as 49-year-old Steven Jackson, was arrested for the following:

• Three counts of strangulation
• Three counts of intimidation
• Two counts of battery on a child less than 14 years of age