A Dixon man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to failing to provide medical aid to a person in his care aged 60 or older.

Damian S. Harris, 49, is charged in Lee County with one count of criminal neglect/abuse of an elderly person, a Class 3 felony. It stems from an incident Jan. 2, when Harris allegedly failed to provide medical aid, despite knowing it was needed; the charge accuses him of endangering the health and life of a person in his care whom he was living with, court records show.

Harris was arrested at 11:20 a.m. Jan. 22 in the 900 block of Mary Avenue in Dixon by the Dixon police. That day, Harris was processed and given conditional release with a pending court appearance, according to a news release from police.

At a hearing Feb. 19, Lee County Judge Jacquelyn D. Ackert ruled to maintain those release conditions, which include having no contact with the person he is alleged to have neglected and not going within 500 feet of the Dixon home he previously shared with that person, court records show.

On Wednesday, Harris appeared before Ackert again with his attorney, Lee County Assistant Public Defender Will Fawkes.

Through Fawkes, Harris waived his right to a preliminary hearing and entered a plea of not guilty.

A preliminary hearing is an early court proceeding where a judge determines if there is enough evidence to reasonably believe that a crime was committed by the defendant.

A bill of indictment was filed by a grand jury March 20.

Harris’s next court date is set at 8:30 a.m. May 14, with Ackert.