Putnamville inmate charged with battery

A man serving a sentence in the Putnamville Correctional Facility for dealing in cocaine was formally charged in Putnam County Circuit Court Thursday with Class B felony aggravated battery and Class D felony criminal recklessness causing serious bodily injury.

Renaldo G. Hardy, 26, of Greencastle was charged in connection with an Aug. 4 incident in which he is accused of striking and throwing hot liquid onto another inmate.

A report prepared by Indiana State Police Trooper Jim Dungan said he was contacted by Putnamville Internal Affairs Officer Quentin Storm on Aug. 4, and that Storm "advised me that an inmate by the name of Renaldo Hardy had thrown hot liquid onto inmate Jason Miles, resulting in serious burns."

On Aug. 5, Hardy told Dungan that his personal property was being repeatedly taken from his bunk area, court documents said, and that Hardy would often see Miles in possession of the items he was missing.

"Offender Hardy advised he retrieved a cup of hot water and walked to the bunk of sleeping offender Miles," Dungan's report said. "Offender Hardy stated he struck offender Miles two times in the head with a closed fist. Offender Miles woke immediately and attempted to swing back at offender Hardy. Offender Hardy then threw the cup of hot water onto the facial area of offender Miles, burning him severely."

Miles was taken to the medical unit at Putnamville, and was later transferred to the burn unit at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, court documents said.

Hardy will be back in court for a pretrial conference on Jan. 8.

Hardy was sentenced to six years in prison for Class B felony dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug on Oct. 11, 2007, records from the Indiana Department of Corrections said. His earliest possible release date is listed as Sept. 22, 2012.