A chilling video has been released of a father "forcing" his six-year-old son to run on a treadmill because he considered him "too fat".
As reported by Court TV, Christopher Gregor, 31, has been accused of murdering his son, Corey Micciolo, who investigators say suffered an acute traumatic injury to the heart just hours before his tragic death.
During the trial, which began on Tuesday (April 30) at Superior Court in Ocean City, the court was shown harrowing surveillance footage from Atlantic Heights Fitness Centre, located in Barnegat.
The clip obtained by the outlet and filmed on March 20, 2021, captured Gregor watching Corey run on the treadmill and fall backward.
In the footage, the father is seen picking up the boy and putting him back on the running device that continues operating.
The little boy fell repeatedly and each time was pushed to continue jogging. The father then appears to “bite” his son - which was also noted on the arrest warrant - on the top of his head before finally decreasing the machine’s speed and incline.
Micciolo’s mother, Bre Micciolo, who became the first witness to take the stand, burst into tears as she watched the haunting video for the first time.
The mother, who shared custody of her son with Gregor, disclosed that days before Corey’s death, she reported his injuries to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
She was said to have pleaded with the father to take their son to the doctor on April 1, 2021, according to reports.
While accompanied by a case worker at the appointment, the six-year-old reportedly stated that his dad made him run on the treadmill "because he was too fat".
Corey was rushed to a hospital the following day after waking up with shortness of breath, slurring his words, nausea, and stumbling. He had a seizure during a CT scan and medics performed life-saving measures, but sadly he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Gregor was initially arrested on July 7 2021 on child neglect charges following investigators reviewing the gym footage. Authorities said he was “subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform".
He was arrested again in March 2022 in connection with his son’s death. The state charged him with murder after a consulting doctor determined the "pattern, distribution, and character of the injuries was consistent with ongoing abuse, and found that the manner of death was homicide," per Too Fab.
The father, who turned down a 30-year plea offer, is currently being held without bond in the Ocean County Jail. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
