Father Charged With Abusing 6-Year-Old Son Released Pending Trial

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The father of a deceased 6-year-old boy was released from Ocean County Jail on Friday pending trial on charges that he endangered the child two weeks before his death.

Christopher Gregor, 29, of Barnegat was charged with child endangerment earlier this month in connection with a March 20 incident at the Atlantic Heights apartments in Barnegat Township.

Authorities have not released the child's name, but his obituary identifies him as Corey T. Micciolo of Englishtown. Corey died April 2 at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin.

Gregor has not been charged in the child’s death, which is still under investigation, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

In a virtual hearing from the Ocean County Jail on Friday on the second degree child endangerment charge, he was ordered released by Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels.

The charge came after security camera footage from the apartment fitness center on March 20 showed the child running on a treadmill and Gregor increasing its speed, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The boy could not keep up with the faster pace and fell, the court document stated. Gregor picked him up and placed him back on the treadmill, and then he fell again, according to the affidavit.

This continued several more times, with the boy falling each time, the court document stated.

Gregor "appears to bite" his son on the head once when he put him back on the treadmill, according to the affidavit.

The boy’s mother, Breanna Micciolo, said she shared joint custody with Gregor. She has spoken about the death of her son in a Facebook group called Justice For Corey, which currently has 9,000 members.

According to a Change.org petition, Micciolo said for two years, she has "begged child protective services to help me get him away from his abuser."

Jersey Shore Online reports that in addition to her son's apparent rug burns, which Micciolo attributes to rubber burns from falls on the treadmill, she has also noted incidents of a busted lip, fingerprint markings and blood pooled at the bottom of the child's eyes after visits with his father.

Gregor surrendered to the Barnegat Township Police Department on July 9.

Defense attorney Mario Gallucci said Gregor denies all of the allegations.

“Although we are aware of an incident that occurred on March 20, 2021 our investigation reveals no link between the tragic death of the infant and the 3/20 incident,” Gallucci said in a statement.

During the virtual hearing on Friday, Judge Daniels acknowledged Gregor’s behavior in the video, deeming it “cruel, despicable and injurious.”

A public safety assessment by pre-trial services recommended Gregor’s release due to his record, which has no convictions or outstanding warrants, Daniels said.

Gregor will be required to check in with pre-trial services weekly and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with minors.

Gregor could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. His next scheduled court date is Sept. 15.

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