Peoria Man Jailed Until Trial After Allegedly Beating 6-Year-Old Boy He Was Babysitting
Sammie Wright Jr., 47, is charged with aggravated battery to a child after allegedly beating a 6-year-old boy he was babysitting in Peoria. A judge ordered him held without bond after prosecutors said the child suffered C-shaped injuries consistent with being struck by a cord or rope.
Judge orders detention after child suffered C-shaped wounds
A Peoria man accused of beating a 6-year-old boy he was babysitting will remain in jail until his trial. Circuit Judge David Brown granted a detention request from the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office on Monday.
Sammie E. Wright Jr., 47, faces a charge of aggravated battery to a child. Police say Wright inflicted cuts and bruises on the boy's face, arms, abdomen, back, thighs and shins on July 3.
The tip that led to the arrest
The case began when a woman on the south end of Peoria flagged down police officers. She said her sister had called her with concerns about Wright's behavior while he was watching two children. One of the children was Wright's 3-year-old son. The other was the 6-year-old boy who was injured.
According to the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office, the woman picked up her child and noticed cuts and bruises on his arm. She found additional injuries on his abdomen, chest and back. The child was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Injuries appeared to be caused by a cord or rope
Officers who met the child at the hospital documented injuries across multiple parts of his body. Several of the wounds were C-shaped. Police said those injuries appeared to have been caused by a cord or rope.
When asked who caused the injuries, the child told police it was a person named "Sam." Wright was arrested that same day. The 3-year-old was unharmed.
"During Wright's detention hearing today, the court granted the prosecutor's request for detention, and he will remain in custody until trial," according to a release from the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office.
Arraignment set for July 23
Wright's arraignment is scheduled for July 23 at 9 a.m. He is expected to enter a plea on the aggravated battery charge at that hearing.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the case can contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521.
This was not Wright's first encounter with the criminal justice system. The charges stem from a single incident on July 3, but the severity of the injuries and the method used drew immediate attention from prosecutors.
The case comes as Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon has recently announced leadership changes within the department. Dixon promoted 25-year veteran Erin Barisch to assistant chief last week. Barisch has led the Criminal and Special Investigations Division for the past two years. Under his leadership, the city saw a reduction in violent crime and achieved a 100 percent homicide clearance rate in 2025, according to department statements.
Peoria reported five homicides and 24 shooting incidents with 26 victims in the first half of 2026. That is down from seven homicides and 26 shootings with 28 victims during the same period in 2025, according to a year-to-date report from the Peoria Police Department.