A 38-year-old Michigan man is currently facing child abuse charges after allegedly beating and choking his 9-year-old son for a minor act of falling asleep on the couch.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation on June 26 after the young boy fled his home and sought help at a neighbor’s residence. Deputies who responded to the call found the child with multiple injuries, including welts across his torso and severe abrasions to his eye and neck.
The victim identified his father, Cedric Diequell-Stevens Moore, as the assailant. According to the child, Moore became angry just “because he fell asleep on the couch” and allegedly “beat him with a belt on his face, back, legs, and buttocks, and struck him with a broom handle before choking him until he passed out.”
According to reports, Moore allegedly told his son that the abuse was “gonna happen all night.” After the attack, the father reportedly left the home to go to a store, abandoning the 9-year-old and his 1-year-old brother.
The older child told the law enforcement personnel that his baby brother “was crying because he was hungry,” and claimed Moore “threw” the infant into his crib before leaving.
However, investigators found some cigarette burns on the 1-year-old’s back and legs, raising further concerns in regards to the ongoing abuse in the household.
Later that evening, deputies arrested Moore at a relative’s home. And during the arrest, Moore allegedly told the family member “he had been ‘whooping’ his son for stealing.”
As it stands now, Moore per legal documents faces charges of second- and fourth-degree child abuse and is being held in the Oakland County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
As of June 29, the 9-year-old remains hospitalized but is reportedly in stable condition.
Authorities confirmed that the boy’s mother does not live with Moore. The 1-year-old’s mother is currently incarcerated, and the baby is now in the care of another family member.
In a public statement, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard condemned the alleged abuse:
“One of the worst things we see is horrific abuse to children. It cannot be tolerated, and those responsible must be held fully accountable, and their children protected.”
