VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Police Department has arrested 27-year-old Freddie Moore, who had a warrant for his arrest on two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of cruelty to children. His arrest follows days of searching, as well as a call for citizens in the area to provide information on his whereabouts.

On June 18, VPD personnel responded to a 911 call to SGMC for a possible child abuse case. When they arrived, they found a set of twins suffering from multiple injuries. According to a press release, one of them had severe injuries, including broken bones.

“They were told that one of the twins was dehydrated, malnourished, and had several broken bones, including a fractured skull,” the release said. “This baby was listed in critical condition, while the other twin appeared to have superficial injuries.” Some of the injuries were found to be healing, which means they had occurred over time rather than an isolated incident.

The child in critical condition was life-flighted to a Florida hospital for emergency treatment, while the other was able to be stabilized and released from the hospital. 

The mother, 23-year-old Makayla Bradley, was arrested and charged with two counts of cruelty to children. The investigation found that other members of the family had taken the mother and twins to a pediatrician after noticing that one of the infants “was not acting right and did not have a normal appearance.” This led to the staff calling an ambulance for the child in critical condition.

Detectives are working with the Department of Family and Children Services in order to get the children to safety.

Valdosta police posted a notice to the public on Facebook Wednesday asking for help to find Moore. 

On Thursday morning, police officers found and arrested him in his apartment after over a week of searching. He has been apprehended, and further charges are pending.

“The injuries that these poor babies had were horrific,” Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said. “The fact that someone could harm small children in this manner is unimaginable. We hope that citizens will help us find this abuser, so he can be held accountable for his actions.”

If anyone has any further information on this case or any other cases, please get in touch with the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department.