FREDERICK, Md. — A former Emmitsburg commissioner, Joseph Anthony Ritz III, was charged with first- and second-degree assault of his 13-year-old son on Friday.
Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic violence incident on Friday, where they found probable cause Ritz had committed assault in the first-degree. Visual marks were present on the child, according to a press release from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.
Ritz was transported to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center for booking.
EMS personnel responded and examined the child. The mother declined transportation for him to a hospital, according to the press release.