Authorities say a Marietta man who had already been kicked out of his family’s home showed back up in the middle of the night, armed with a machete and creeping around the property while relatives watched in fear.
Tormio Maurice Barnes was arrested after investigators say he repeatedly stalked and intimidated family members and returned to their Marietta home in the early‑morning hours of May 3. The family told officers they had previously evicted Barnes from the residence, and the incidents left them badly shaken. Barnes is being held in the county jail without bond as his case moves through the courts.
According to WSB‑TV, an arrest warrant charges Barnes with misdemeanor stalking, criminal trespass, loitering and prowling, and first‑degree burglary. The warrant alleges the episodes unfolded between about 3 a.m. and 3:23 a.m. at a home on Squire Drive and that investigators reviewed video they say shows Barnes walking and crawling around the home while wielding a machete and testing several door handles. The warrant also says Barnes showed up at the family’s home multiple times after being told to leave and that the victims expressed “extreme nervousness and fear.”
Charges and What They Mean
First‑degree burglary in Georgia is treated as a felony and can carry significant prison time, while stalking, criminal trespass, and loitering and prowling are commonly prosecuted as lower‑level offenses, depending on the facts and any prior record. For background on the burglary statute and typical penalties, see FindLaw, and for the state stalking statute see the Official Code discussion available via Justia. Legal outcomes hinge on the evidence and on how prosecutors choose to proceed, so attorneys or public defenders handle case‑specific advice.
Where Victims Can Turn
Victims of stalking or domestic harassment can seek civil protections, including emergency temporary protective orders, through the superior court, and Georgia maintains a statewide Protective Order Registry. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence maintains resources, hotline numbers, and guidance for filing orders and locating local advocates, see the Georgia Commission on Family Violence for more information. If someone is in immediate danger they should call 911 and contact local law enforcement.
Barnes is listed as being held at the county adult detention center, and contact and facility information for the jail is available from the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. For detention center contact details see the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.
