PLEA ENTERED IN BABY BEATING CASE

A man accused of assaulting a one-year-old he was caring for at the Super 8 motel in Buttonwillow has pleaded not guilty to child cruelty. Officers arrested 26-year-old Richard Graham after the child was treated at Mercy Southwest for head injuries and a swollen brain on Sunday.

Graham’s next court date is August 11.

Kelli Forsch