By Shereen Siewert
A 54-year-old Wausau man is accused of beating a teenager, hitting him over the head with a guitar and threatening to break his neck.
Lawrence Gray faces felony charges of child abuse and false imprisonment in connection with an investigation that began in the late night hours of Dec. 11. Those charges, along with one misdemeanor count of child neglect, were filed Dec. 12 in Marathon County Court.
Gray is being held on a $10,000 cash bond.
Police were called to Gray’s northeast side home just before midnight on Dec. 11 to a report of an out-of-control juvenile.
When they arrived, Gray said he wanted the boy, who had previously been living in Milwaukee, removed from his home because he was concerned he would hurt him or “break his…neck” if he was forced to continue caring for the child, but he refused to explain what what events took place at the home that prompted him to call police, according to court documents.
Gray also allegedly told police he would “handle it like a man” and referenced being a member of a group that would “come help him handle it,” the police report states.
The alleged victim told police Gray locked him in a bedroom for hours without access to a bathroom and that Gray became enraged when the boy was forced to urinate in the room. When the boy attempted to leave to go to a friend’ home, Gray allegedly began kicking him, threw a plastic milk crate filled with shoes at the boy, and struck him on the head with a guitar.
The alleged victim also told police Gray threatened to kill him and often made threats to harm him.
Gray, who also goes by the names Larry Clark, Larry Mosley, Anthony Orr, Zachary Todd, Lawrence McCloud, Larry Olds and Zachery Orr, remains jailed as of Friday.
A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 18.
