Mar. 24—NEW LONDON — Police were investigating a domestic violence report at an apartment in New London on the morning of Jan. 29 when officers discovered a malnourished and bruised 10-year-old boy in a room dead-bolted from the outside.

The boy, limping and showing signs of hair loss and trauma to his ears, told police the room was where he slept and that had been wearing the same clothes and not showered in weeks, according to a newly-released police report. He continued to tell police that in previous months had been beaten, tied up, struck with a wooden board and locked in a closet by his mother's boyfriend.

The disturbing details emerged on Friday with the release of an arrest warrant affidavit in the case of Michael Gregor, the 41-year-old arrested by New London police on Thursday on charges of first-degree strangulation, second-degree assault, cruelty to persons, risk of injury to a minor, unlawful restraint and reckless endangerment.

Gregor was arrested a East Lyme hotel but court records show Gregor had previously lived at an apartment at 147 State St. in New London.

The 10-year-old victim in the case was hospitalized until Feb. 6 and found to have "multiple traumas throughout his body," multiple healing rib fractures and was undernourished, the police report shows. He was released to a relative, police said.

Police said the victim was one of three children discovered at the home during Gregor's initial arrest on Jan. 29. Gregor is only charged with the abuse of one child.

In an interview with police, the victim in the case told police the abuse at the hands of Gregor started months prior when the family was living in Norwich and that he was "hit repeatedly" by Gregor after lying about taking some food, police said.

The victim said "in the past he had been locked in a closet all day and could only come out to use the bathroom," the warrant states.

The abuse continued after the family, which includes the victim's two brothers, moved to New London, the warrant states.

Police said the victim pointed out a closet in the New London apartment that also had a dead bolt lock on the exterior. Inside the closet was a black piece of cloth the victim said Gregor used to tie him up with, the warrant states. There were also holes in the sheetrock walls where the victims said were caused when Gregor kicked him.

"(The victim) stated Gregor would kick him in his back repeatedly, causing him to stop breathing and would just leave him in there," the warrant states.

The victim told police his mother "had no choice but to help Gregor because if she said anything about what was going on, Gregor would hit both of them for it," the warrant states. The victim described being "hogtied" with both hands and feet tied together by Gregor and being placed into a cabinet or a wooden box and in one incident grabbed by the neck "being hoisted into the air" and thinking he was going to die.

The victim said that on at least one occasion, his mother had stuffed her socks in the victim's mouth.

"The (victim) stated that he was unsure why he was being treated so badly, but most communication with Gregor was about using the bathroom," the warrant states.

The victim said he was beaten if he tried to eat food, but if he behaved well, he was moved from the closet to the room where officers found him, though he would also be locked in "day and night" and only come out to use the bathroom. He was also never allowed to get his own food and at times went days without water, the warrant states.

Police said the victim's mother declined to speak to police about the incident, but medical records show the victim's mother "corroborated the (victim) was removed from school to hide the evidence of injuries." The victim was being homeschooled.

Gregor appeared in New London Superior Court on Friday and ordered held on a $750,000 bond. He had previously posted the $100,000 bond in the case stemming from the Jan. 29 domestic assault case involving the unidentified woman. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, second-degree strangulation and disorderly conduct in that case.

Gregor is due back in New London Superior Court on April 19.

g.smith@theday.com