Father arrested after allegedly beating and trying to drown 9-month-old son in California

LOS ANGELES -- An infant boy is near death after his father allegedly beat, strangled and tried to drown him, stopping only when officers burst in on him at a Los Angeles apartment, Eyewitness News has learned.

The suspect was identified as the boy's father, Michael Freeman, 29, who recently got out of prison in Tennessee.

Police allege Freeman punched, strangled, slammed and tried to drown his 9-month-old child. Officers got into the apartment as the alleged assault was happening.

The child was transported to a local hospital and was considered in critical condition.

Police were called by the child's mother early Thursday shortly after midnight. Freeman followed the children's mother to the apartment, police said.

She reported that Freeman had first threatened her and their other child, a 7-year-old, then grabbed their baby and fled.

He then went to a nearby vacant apartment where he tried to kill the child, police allege. Officers used a Taser multiple times to get him to stop the attack.

Police said the incident was caught on an officer's body camera.

Freeman was arrested and booked early Thursday and was being held on $1 million bail.