Michael M. Layton, 32, of LaPorte, is facing several felony charges after court records allege he unlawfully confined a woman against her will, causing severe injuries that resulted in permanent damage.
According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, officers were dispatched at approximately 1:50 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2026, to investigate a reported violation of a protection order involving Layton and the protected individual. Dispatch informed officers that the incident occurred the previous day and involved an unreported domestic battery. Officers spoke with the victim’s father, who said that around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, his daughter contacted him requesting a ride in LaPorte after attempting to retrieve personal belongings.
The father noticed her right eye was nearly swollen shut. When asked about her injuries, she initially said she had fallen but later admitted Layton had assaulted her. She explained she did not immediately contact police because she feared being arrested for being near Layton, as a no-contact protection order was active at the time.
The affidavit states Layton was inside the apartment when the woman arrived to pack her belongings. Layton asked to use her vehicle, and she allowed it out of fear he would assault her again if she refused. She then left the residence and contacted her father for help. That evening, she complained of head pain, was given medication, and went to bed.
By the morning of Jan. 18, her condition had worsened, and she was taken to a hospital in Mishawaka. Medical staff discovered a mass near her brain and determined she needed to be transferred immediately to a hospital in Indianapolis. Doctors later determined that the injuries to her eye caused a large mass behind it that required removal. As a result, physicians informed her that her left eye would also need to be removed.
Officers confirmed that an active protection order prohibiting contact between Layton and the woman was in effect at the time of the incident.
During an interview on Jan. 22, 2026, the woman reported that on Dec. 31, 2025, Layton, who she said was intoxicated, became angry while inside the residence, pushed her against a bedroom wall, and struck her in the face. She stated she tried to defend herself, but Layton repeatedly punched her with closed fists, causing her to fall onto a bed and then the floor. She described feeling disoriented and experiencing darkness during the assault.
She told investigators that Layton continued to hit her in different areas of the residence, restricted her access to her phone, and prevented her from leaving until her visible injuries improved. She also said Layton threatened further confinement, which made her fear for her safety and delayed her report to police. Over the following two weeks, she attempted to care for her injuries, including a severely swollen eye that bled frequently during the first week and later began discharging green pus.
At approximately 1:13 a.m. on Jan. 22, the La Porte Police Department SWAT Team took Layton into custody. Investigators executed a search warrant at the apartment and observed droplets of what appeared to be blood throughout the interior.
Layton was transported and interviewed. He claimed the injuries occurred during sexual activity and said he attempted to treat her injuries himself before requesting an attorney.
Layton is currently lodged in the LaPorte County Jail.
Charges filed on Jan. 23, 2026, include:
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Criminal Confinement resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 3 Felony)
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Aggravated Battery resulting in loss or impairment of a bodily function (Level 3 Felony)
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Domestic Battery resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 5 Felony)
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Invasion of Privacy – Violation of Protective Order (Class A Misdemeanor)