Police: Dad punched 13-year-old son in the face, threatened him with loaded gun (Eldridge, Iowa)

Dad PRESTON K. MITCHELL has been arrested for punching his 13-year-old son in the face and threatening him with a loaded gun. He did all this on front of the boy's sister, who was told to fetch her brother while Daddy was loading the gun. Both children fled the home. Daddy has been charged with child endangerment with injury and assault with a deadly weapon.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT: No mention of a mother at all. Does a mother live in this home? Or does she live elsewhere? Could this be one of those cases you see at the beginning of the summer visitation season, where "frustrated" dads flip out over day-to-day life with children?

http://qctimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_8154071a-7990-11df-bd6d-001cc4c03286.html?oCampaign=hottopics

Police: Father threatened teen son, loaded a gun
Brian Wellner The Quad-City Times Posted: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 4:39 pm

An Eldridge, Iowa, father accused of hitting his son, threatening him with a cooking pan and then getting his gun has been charged with a felony in Scott County.

Preston K. Mitchell, 38, was arrested early Wednesday by the Eldridge Police Department and has since been released from the Scott County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond.

Police said that about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, Mitchell threatened his 13-year-old son with a cooking pan and then struck him in the face with a closed fist, the arrest affidavit states.

The victim suffered minor swelling and redness on the left cheek, the affidavit states.

Mitchell then went to get a firearm from his bedroom and began to load it in front of another child of his while he told her to get her brother, the affidavit states. The children fled.

Mitchell is charged with child endangerment with injury, a felony, and assault with a weapon.