Ind. inmate's beating trial reset for late April

BUNKER HILL, Ind. (AP) — A prison inmate's trial in a beating that severely injured a guard has been postponed until April after a key witness fell ill.

A Miami Circuit Court judge set April 22 as 40-year-old Ruben Gonzalez's trial on an aggravated battery charge.

The Kokomo Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/143i5wb ) the delay was the third for Gonzalez, who's accused of beating a guard unconscious with a padlock inside a sock at the Miami Correctional Facility in February 2012.

That guard suffered a skull fracture, broken jaw, hearing loss and internal bleeding.

Gonzalez' initial October trial date was postponed until November following a judge's death. His trial was then reset for March 11 at prosecutors' request.

The most recent delay came after a key witness went on medical leave was unavailable until late April.

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com