Augusta dad charged with cruelty to children after son’s death

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 25-year-old dad is facing a cruelty to children charge after the death of his son, according to a report from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

On Nov. 9, 2024, deputies say they responded to the 2100 block of Margaret Court in reference to a suspicious situation.

On scene, deputies met with the complainant, Maurice Jonathon Sturgis, who said he found his son unresponsive when he woke up.

Sturgis told deputies that he went to sleep on the couch next to him the night prior and is unsure of when they went to sleep.

According to deputies, Sturgis woke up and noticed his son was stiff and not breathing and began to do CPR to the best of his ability and called 911.

The incident report states that the son had no chronic health complications or illnesses. Sturgis told deputies that no one else was in the residence except another family member.

The deputy coroner gave a time of death of 1:22 a.m., according to the incident report.

Meanwhile, Strugis, 25, was arrested on Tuesday, according to jail bookings.

Sturgis is charged with cruelty to children in the second degree.

We’ve reached out to the Richmond County Coroner’s Office for more information on the death of the child.

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