Attempted murder and child abuse charges were filed Monday against a Tennessee man accused of trying to kill his 8-month-old son last week in a vacant Los Angeles apartment.
Michael Freeman, 29, faces up to life in prison if convicted of attempted murder and child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors are recommending that the defendant be held without bail. Court officials said Freeman refused to leave his cell Monday morning to be brought to court for arraignment, which is now scheduled for Tuesday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
The defendant, who lives in Nashville, was visiting Los Angeles when he allegedly grabbed his son, Legend F., away from the child’s mother and locked himself and the baby inside a nearby vacant apartment in the 800 block of South Hill Street last Thursday.
Police were called, and arriving officers got into the apartment and allegedly found Freeman beating the baby, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
ABC7 reported that Freeman also allegedly tried to strangle and drown his son, and that officers used a Taser to subdue him and take him into custody.
The mother told police that Freeman had recently been released from prison, Channel 7 reported.
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