10-year-old boy was reportedly 'living in squalor,' abused, and locked in closet
03/24/2023 1:41 pm PDT
NEW LONDON, Conn. (TCD) -- An East Lyme man was arrested this week for allegedly severely abusing his girlfriend’s 10-year-old son, which included hog-tying and hitting the boy.
According to New London Police, on Jan. 29, police officers responded to a domestic incident call involving a young child and transported the boy to a nearby hospital for treatment for his injuries and malnourishment. He was then transferred to Yale New Haven Hospital for additional medical help.
Police said they learned during their investigation that the boy was "subjected to living in squalor, inhumane conditions, and the subject of abuse for a duration of time."
On Thursday, March 23, New London Police, the East Lyme Police Department, and State of Connecticut Adult Probation served a warrant on Michael Gregor and took him into custody on charges of first-degree strangulation, second-degree assault, cruelty to persons, risk of injury to a minor, unlawful restraint, and reckless endangerment.
When police went to the home in January, they reportedly found the 10-year-old locked in a room with a deadbolt on the outside, the Hartford Courant reports. He was reportedly covered in bruises, appeared malnourished, and had a broken finger. Inside, the room contained only a plastic sheet on the ground, a slab of wood, and a blanket. The boy reportedly told police he slept in the room and was sometimes forced to sleep in a tiny closet.
He would reportedly be allowed to move into the room where he was found if Gregor believed he behaved.
Gregor’s affidavit, cited by the Hartford Courant, says the boy told cops Gregor tied him with part of a robe and kicked him. Gregor allegedly kicked him so much the boy couldn’t breathe and stomped on his head. He also allegedly hit him in the legs with a piece of wood.
At a different apartment, Gregor allegedly hog-tied the 10-year-old, hoisted him into the air by his neck until he passed out, and left him in a cabinet. Gregor reportedly beat him if he urinated on himself or did not urinate enough. The boy was reportedly forced to stay in his soiled clothing for several days when he was locked in the closet.
The Hartford Courant reports the boy’s mother pulled him out of school due to the severity of his injuries. The boy claimed his mother put her socks in his mouth one time, but his mother would also allegedly get beaten if she spoke out against the treatment.
Gregor is being held on $750,000 bond.
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