A Gwinnett County woman has been charged with the murder of her 8-year-old stepdaughter after the girl was found dead, sparking a police investigation into what they are calling a "suspicious" death. The young girl was at home in Bethlehem with her stepmother, Natiela Barros, when a medical emergency was reported to have occurred.
According to WSBTV, the child's father was called and found her unresponsive. The father started performing CPR, and first responders pronounced the girl dead upon their arrival. The Gwinnett County Homicide Unit has stepped in to unravel the events leading up to her death,
Barros, 34, is being held on charges of felony murder and first-degree child cruelty, among others. Fox 5 Atlanta reports that the charges came Wednesday morning following the death investigation that began just after 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. "I have seen her get on and off the bus," said Bridget Soto, a neighbor a few doors down, in a statement obtained by Fox 5 Atlanta. "Coming home today, it was kind of scary, I didn’t know what was going on I was kind of surprised."
Details of what constituted the "suspicious" nature of the death have not been disclosed to the public. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the exact cause and manner of the girl’s demise. "There are a lot of little kids in the neighborhood. It’s really sad," Soto added. Meanwhile, police ensure that the details remain confidential in compliance with Georgia law at this time, pending further investigation.
