Pontiac Father Arrested for Child Abuse After Choking Son

Cedric Diequell-Stevens Moore, a 38-year-old man from Pontiac, Michigan, was arrested and charged with second and fourth-degree child abuse for allegedly beating and choking his 9-year-old son because the boy fell asleep on the couch. The boy escaped to a neighbor's house for help, revealing injuries including welts, severe abrasions near his eye and neck, and that his father had beaten him with a belt and a broomstick before choking him until he passed out. Moore reportedly told the boy, "It's gonna happen all night" before leaving for the store. The 1-year-old infant brother was found with healed cigarette burns and was reportedly thrown into his crib by Moore when he was crying from hunger. The 9-year-old is hospitalized in stable condition and expected to recover, while the infant has been placed with a relative by Child Protective Services, as the mother is incarcerated. Authorities emphasize the severity of the abuse and the necessity to hold perpetrators accountable to protect children.