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Jonathan Ray Moats, originally of Oakland, Maryland, mostly recently of Palmyra, PA, was arrested in October following an incident involving his 5-month-old boy, court records show.
Moats has admitted to covering his son's nose and mouth using a blanket when he wouldn't stop crying, while at a home on High Street in New Oxford on Oct. 11, according to court documents.
When the baby's mom came into the room and saw the blanket on her son she quickly stepped in. She saw “his nose and cheeks were red” and he “was breathing fine but [she] feared that Moats was trying to seriously hurt the baby,” as stated in the affidavit of probable cause.
The baby's mother called 911 to report the incident and asked for information about a Protection from Abuse order, according to the affidavit of probable cause. That finally prompted Moats to gather his things and flee on foot.
At 10:44 a.m., officers with the Eastern Adams Regional Police and an ambulance arrived at the home. The baby was taken to Hanover Hospital for an examination, according to the affidavit.
Moats was later spotted by the same officers walking on Hanover Street near a Turkey Hill, so he was taken in for question, court records detailed.
At first, he denied what he did, but eventually, he confessed to putting the blanket over the baby's face and pushing down on it and therefore pushing down on his son's face, although he was still in disbelief of his actions, as written in the affidavit:
"he could not believe what he had done and felt bad about trying to get the baby to stop crying. Moats said that he did not want to hurt the baby, he just wanted the baby to stop crying"
On Thursday, Nov. 30, "he pled guilty to one count of strangulation" ADA Reuter told Daily Voice. While in the court, Moats was also sentenced to serve two to five years in a state correctional institution, Reuter said.
Moats allegedly entered the plea because he “did not want to fight the charges and wanted to get it over with.”
Moats has faced criminal charges before in York, Adams, and Lebanon counties for driving under the influence twice, harassment, and other unauthorized access of an electronic device, according to his previous court dockets. He served Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, parole, and was in his second year of a seven-year probation sentence at the time of the incident with his son, as detailed in court documents.
“I am pleased with the outcome here as defendant received the sentence that I offered to him, and it keeps defendant away from the child victim and his mother for five years,” Reuter said. “I personally find it very rewarding to fight for justice for those who cannot fight for themselves, like children, because they are ultimately the most vulnerable population and I try to be a voice for the voiceless in that regard."
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