Father accused of assaulting 7-year-old son for not doing squats properly

HOUSTON – A father is accused of beating his 7-year-old son with a switch because he wasn't doing squats properly, according to court documents. 

Jeremiah Gonzales, 32, was charged with causing injury to a child on Feb. 20 after he is accused of abusing his son with a switch and threatening to hit his 8-year-old daughter. 

According to court documents, the family was living in a tent near Griggs Road and the South Loop East Freeway near Sellers Bros Inc. store and that is where the boy's father was forcing him to do squats.

Officials said Gonzales hit the boy on his arms, legs and back until he was bleeding and then punched him in the stomach. 

The boy was taken to Texas Children's Hospital after he told his teacher about the assault, authorities said. 

Officials at the hospital said the boy had old and new injuries, which indicated that he had been abused in the past. 

The boy's sister told authorities that Gonzales also threatened to abuse her if she did not do her squats properly, but instead of hitting her, she said Gonzales hit her brother. 

Gonzales is being held without bond in the Harris County jail.