Mills PD: Man Arrested for Child Abuse After Assault Video Shared

Mills police arrested a man over the weekend after he allegedly carried out a vicious, unprovoked assault on a teen and video footage of the incident was shared on social media.

Nick Fenton, 18, was booked into the Natrona County Detention Center on recommended charges of robbery, child abuse and minor in possession of alcohol by consumption. He is expected to make his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court at 2 p.m. Monday.

Mills police officers and Natrona County Sheriff's deputies responded to the area of 4487 Dodge Street in Mills at roughly 1:15 a.m. Saturday for a welfare check. In a statement to K2 Radio News on Monday, the police department said several people had reported that a young male, roughly 14 or 15 years old, had been assaulted.

Responding officers also were told that the incident was captured on video, and the footage had been shared on multiple social media platforms.

Sheriff's deputies were the first law enforcement officers to arrive in the area. They found several people running away from the residence.

One man, who matched the description of the suspect, exited the residence as well. Deputies told him to stay inside, and he did. The man was detained because he was a suspect in the reported assault.

In searching the area, officers found dried blood in the street near 4487 Dodge Street. The suspect said he didn't know anything about any assault having taken place.

Casper police officers then contacted the victim at his home in Casper and confirmed he had been assaulted.

Police gathered witness statements and viewed video evidence in the course of their investigation. That evidence showed that Fenton approached the victim, evidently without any reason, and confronted him.

"Without provocation, the suspect then struck the juvenile in the face, knocked him to the ground, and continued to assault him by kicking him in the face and abdomen," Mills police said.

Once the victim was unable to get up, Fenton allegedly stole his shoes and belt. Fenton then used the boy's shoes and belt to continue assaulting him.

A pair of blood-stained shoes was discovered near the scene, police say.

Video of the incident, which was shared and widely discussed on Facebook over the weekend, showed several others present at the scene while Fenton assaulted the younger teen early Saturday. Officer Thomas Wilson, public information officer for the Mills Police Department, told K2 Radio News that while Fenton is the only person who was arrested in connection with the assault as of Monday, the investigation is ongoing.

Wilson had no information regarding the victim's medical condition Monday.