Winona Lake man arrested after domestic violence incident in Rochester

Monday, September 7, 2026 at 8:16 AM

By Staff report

A Winona Lake man is facing felony charges after he allegedly battered a woman in Rochester.

According to court documents, the Rochester Police Department were contacted by a woman on August 26 in regards to a man attempting to take a child after an argument.

When officers arrived at the scene the woman stated she and Austin Ort, 28, of Winona Lake, had been arguing before Ort became physical with her and attempted to take a child from her arms. When the victim attempted to get away from Ort, she claimed he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to the bed while the child was still in her arms.

Police noted slight bruising and redness on the victims right side of the neck and shoulder.

The victim claimed she attempted to get away Ort by taking herself and two children who were in the residence to a bedroom and locking the door. Refusing to leave, the victim said Ort began pounding on the door. She claimed Ort also began hitting himself in the face and screaming that the victim had hit him.

A short time later the victim attempted to leave the residence with the children in her vehicle, but stated Ort got physical again, slamming her against the vehicle while was was still holding the child. The woman stated she and the children then retreated back to the home in fear, locking themselves in the bedroom until Ort left the residence.

Ort was later found by deputies with the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office. When speaking with officers, Ort denied any physical altercation but did admit to arguing with the victim.

Both Ort and the woman had recorded parts of the altercation, but neither recordings were a complete account of what occurred. It was noted that no marks or injuries appeared to be on Ort and that he also had a previous conviction of domestic battery in Kosciusko County from 2019.

Ort was arrested August 27 and booked at the Fulton County Jail on charges of criminal confinement and domestic battery in the presence of a child, both Level 6 Felonies.

An initial hearing is scheduled for Ort at the Fulton County Courthouse on Tuesday, September 8.