Police say doorbell video shows multiple blows; bond set at $200,000 as Army coordinates with local authorities.
WACO, Texas — A 29-year-old Army sergeant identified as Paul Thames is charged with injury to a child after a neighbor’s doorbell camera captured a beating outside a Waco apartment, according to an arrest affidavit. Officers arrested Thames on Jan. 19; he remained jailed on a federal detainer.
The case centers on what investigators described as a brief but forceful assault that left the 3-year-old boy crying in pain. Detectives wrote that Thames later admitted taking the child outside to discipline him for refusing to work on the alphabet and said he “went overboard.” The boy was transported by ambulance for evaluation and released. Army officials said they were aware of the arrest and condemned the behavior as inconsistent with service values while referring questions about the case to local police and prosecutors who control the investigation.
In the video described in the affidavit, a man is seen punching the child several times in the torso near an apartment walkway. The audio captured yelling, and at one point the man lifted the child by the back of the neck and covered the boy’s mouth, the document states. The mother, who police say was inside the unit working at the time, told investigators she did not witness the assault and learned of it when officers arrived. Detectives obtained the video from a neighbor and used it, along with interviews, to identify the suspect. Paramedics reported the child complained of neck pain before doctors cleared him at a hospital.
Thames had recently moved in with the child and the boy’s mother, according to the affidavit. Injury to a child can be charged as a felony in Texas, with penalties that vary based on the evidence of intent and injury. Jail records listed bond at $200,000 on the state charge. The federal detainer means he cannot be released without federal approval, though officials did not specify the basis for the hold. The Army installation commonly referred to as Fort Hood was officially renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023; local media reports on the arrest used the older name, reflecting common usage in Central Texas.
Prosecutors will review the file and decide whether to seek an indictment from a McLennan County grand jury. If indicted, the case would proceed to arraignment, pretrial settings and, if necessary, trial. Police said the investigation remains open as they check for additional witnesses and cameras that might show the moments before and after the recorded assault. Army leaders said they are in contact with Waco police and will make administrative decisions in line with regulations while the civilian case moves forward.
Residents of the complex said squad cars arrived quickly the night of the arrest. “They went door to door asking who had cameras,” said a maintenance worker who spoke with officers. A parent who lives nearby said they kept their own children inside as detectives photographed the walkway and collected potential evidence from around a stairwell. By morning, neighbors said patrol units had cleared the scene but officers returned later to follow up with the tenant who shared the video.
As of this week, the child is back with his mother, police said. The next step is expected to be a prosecutor’s filing decision or grand jury presentation in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 30, 2026.