KELSEYVILLE — An investigation into a report of suspected child abuse by sheriff”s deputies Wednesday afternoon has resulted in the arrest of a Lake County Code Enforcement Officer.
Shortly after noon on Wednesday deputies responded to the Kelseyville High School when school staff reported a 17-year-old girl student had been injured from an incident that occurred at her home the previous night.
When deputies arrived, they confirmed that the student had in fact sustained significant bruising on her leg and arm.
Further investigation by deputies revealed that on Tuesday afternoon, the victim”s father, Rod Ian Hilliard, 37, arrived at their Kelseyville home to find a male friend of the victim”s at the house.
The friend was told to leave and Hilliard returned to work.
Later that night after Hilliard had returned home from work, he reportedly broke the victim”s cell phone and other items before retrieving a belt from his room and striking the victim several times as punishment for having the boy at the house.
Hilliard was contacted Wednesday afternoon and asked to respond to the school. Shortly after he arrived, he was arrested. Lake County Child Protective Services responded to the school to take custody of the victim. The victim”s 7-year-old-brother was also retrieved from a day care facility and taken into protective custody by CPS.
Hilliard was booked at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility for felony willful cruelty to a child. He is held in the custody of the Sheriff on a $25,000 bail.
