Court finds probable cause in death of Sidney man

A preliminary hearing concerning the alleged crimes of 23-year-old Theodore Medina of Sidney was held Tuesday afternoon in Cheyenne County district court.

Medina is charged with first degree assault and manslaughter after an alleged altercation between he and Ernest Ward, 51, reportedly resulted in Ward’s death.

Local law enforcement from both the city of Sidney and Cheyenne County testified at the hearing. The court found that the charged offenses likely took place and that there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed them, according to Cheyenne County attorney Paul Schaub. Defense council filed a plea in abatement to challenge the findings of this preliminary hearing.

Medina and Ward allegedly engaged in a physical altercation in the home they shared after Ward accused Medina of being a bad father. Ward was Medina’s ex father in law. Medina allegedly admitted to hitting Ward and pushing him several times. Ward fell multiple times during this altercation, according to arrest records.

Police records indicate that Medina claimed Ward was intoxicated at the time of the fight. Medina called 911 after he realized that Ward was badly injured and was reportedly performing CPR on the man when emergency personnel arrived at the scene.

Doctors at Sidney Regional Medical Center diagnosed Ward with extensive brain injuries and bleeding around his skull and brain. He died at SRMC at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 2.