Disturbing footage has emerged of a New Jersey father forcing his six-year-old son to run on a treadmill because he’s ‘too fat’ just days before the boy’s death from ‘chronic’ abuse.
Christopher Gregor, 31, appeared in court on Tuesday to face murder charges after his son, Corey Micciolo, died in 2021 of ‘blunt force trauma’ after years of alleged abuse. If convicted – Gregor faces life in prison.
Surveillance footage from the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center was shown in court during the trial.
In the CCTV video, Corey is seen continuously falling off the treadmill, while Gregor keeps lifting him up and putting him back on it.
Gregor is seen at one point appearing to bite his son on the back of the head before forcing him to run again, the NYP reported.
Surveillance footage from the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center was shown in court during the trial
Christopher Gregor (pictured), 31, appeared in court on Tuesday to face murder charges after his six-year-old son died in 2021 from ‘chronic abuse’
Corey Micciolo, died in 2021 of ‘blunt force trauma’ after years of alleged abuse
The rapid speed of the treadmill was far too quick for the little boy’s legs to keep up with, and he repeatedly was thrown off the equipment and seen crawling back on to try again.
Days after the gym visit, the boy’s mother Breanna Micciolo, who shared custody of Corey with Gregor, saw her son’s injuries and reported them to a caseworker with the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
She brought Corey to a doctor on April 2, where he said his father forced him to run on the treadmill ‘because he was too fat,’ the U.S. Sun reported. He died the next day.
The next day, Gregor rushed the little boy to hospital because he woke up from a nap stumbling, slurring his words and experiencing nausea and shortness of breath.
This prompted the doctors to carry out a CT scan – during which Corey suffered a seizure.
Medical staff were forced to take life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful and the little boy died.
In the CCTV video, Corey is seen continuously falling off the treadmill, while Gregor keeps lifting him up and putting him back on it
The rapid speed of the treadmill was far too quick for the little boy’s legs to keep up with, and he repeatedly was thrown off the equipment and seen crawling back on to try again
Gregor is seen at one point appearing to bite his son on the back of the head before forcing him to run again
The initial autopsy revealed that Corey died as a result of blunt force injuries with cardiac and liver contusions with inflammation and sepsis.
Gregor was arrested in July 2021 on charges of child neglect after investigators renewed the horrific surveillance footage from the gym.
‘Specifically by having (Corey) run on a treadmill and increasing the speed, causing (Corey) to fall, placing (him) back on the moving treadmill while appearing to bite his head, causing the said child to fall several more times,’ an arrest warrant read.
Corey’s death was determined to be a homicide in September 2021 after a forensic pathologist found that the six-year-old suffered from ‘chronic abuse’ including blunt impact injuries on his chest and abdomen with a laceration on his heart, left pulmonary contusion, and laceration and contusion of his liver.
Days after the gym visit, the boy’s mother Breanna Micciolo (pictured), who shared custody of Corey with Gregor, saw her son’s injuries and reported them to a caseworker with the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Micciolo was the first to take the stand as a witness in court on Tuesday. She sobbed and wiped her eyes as she watched the disturbing video
The initial autopsy revealed that Corey died as a result of blunt force injuries with cardiac and liver contusions with inflammation and sepsis
After her son’s death, Breanna Micciolo created a private Facebook page called Justice for Corey to raise awareness for his case
Micciolo was the first to take the stand as a witness in court on Tuesday. She sobbed and wiped her eyes as she watched the disturbing video.
After her son’s death, Breanna Micciolo created a private Facebook page called Justice for Corey to raise awareness for his case.
At the time she wrote: ‘I created this group to fight for justice for my son, Corey Micciolo. He was only 6 years old when his life was taken from him, by someone who was supposed to care and love for him. His father.
‘We have an army here and we will not stop fighting until justice is served.’