LAFAYETTE — A man accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl in the basement of his home was injured in a fight inside his jail cell Wednesday evening, according to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office.
James Brian Chadwell II got into a fight with another inmate just before 5:30 p.m., the sheriff's office said in a release. Chadwell received minor injuries to his face and was treated by jail medical staff. The sheriff's office did not release whether the other inmate was injured in the altercation.
"Jail inmates Quentin Jackson and James Chadwell were involved in an altercation inside a Jail Cell on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Chadwell received minor injuries to his face and was treated for his injuries by jail medical staff," a release from the sheriff's office said.
Chadwell is currently being held on multiple charges after police found a missing 9-year-old girl naked and crying in his basement. The young girl told police that she went into Chadwell's home to pet his dogs and he "attacked" her, strangling her and beating her until she was unconscious. She told police she woke up in Chadwell's basement with her clothes off and that he had "tried to kill her".
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Police were searching for the girl on April 19 after her mother reported she had been missing for at least 30 minutes. Chadwell had initially told police he had seen the girl earlier but didn't know where she was. Police returned and asked to search his home where they found her in the basement, which had been chained shut.
Chadwell is currently charged with attempted murder, child molesting, attempted child molesting, kidnapping, criminal confinement, battery and strangulation.
The investigation into the jail altercation will be forwarded to the Tippecanoe Co. Prosecutor's Office for further review, according to the sheriff's department.
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