FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The kick to the little boy’s chest was so swift, the witness couldn’t remember if the father used his right or left leg.

In any case, Joseph Gieske, 34, didn’t know anyone was watching when the child walked in front of him as he sat on a couch. Then he kicked him so hard, the child fell to the floor Friday evening at 10 p.m, court documents said.

Gieske was charged Thursday with domestic battery with bodily injury to a person under 14 and domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16. A separate investigation by WANE 15 put the age of the child under 4.

The witness to the abuse went to Gieske’s home after the victim’s mother asked her to check on her children because she was at work and not able to leave.

The witness knocked on the front door, but didn’t get an answer. Then she looked through the front door window to see Gieske sitting down on a couch in the front living room. As the boy walked in front of him, he kicked the boy who fell to the floor cried. The witness said it looked as though the kick directly hit the boy in the middle of his chest.

Medics arrived and took the boy to a local hospital to be evaluated. The boy was reported to be crying and nervous, but calm.

Gieske was drunk, according to court documents. The evidence was “the smell of an alcoholic beverage” and a PBT (preliminary breath test) at the hospital indicating a level of .194%, more than twice the legal limit to drive at .08%. Gieske was treated at the hospital for alcohol clearance and Type 1 diabetes, court documents said.

In a followup investigation, Detective Bryan Thurman interviewed the mother of the other child at the home during the incident and that child corroborated the witness’ story.

Gieske was released on his own recognizance under the conditions he cannot use or possess any alcohol and must submit to a drug and/or alcohol test at any time pre trial services.