A 22-year-old Northeast Cobb man is behind bars without bond after police say he pointed a handgun at his 79-year-old grandmother, threw her to the ground twice, and pressed the same weapon to his mother's head when she tried to intervene. Jordan Lieber now faces two felony counts of aggravated assault, a felony count of exploiting a disabled or elderly person, and two misdemeanor counts of simple battery stemming from the incident at his family's home on Highland Plains Court.
According to East Cobb News, the alleged assault unfolded between 11:59 a.m. and 1:42 p.m. on September 5 at the Highland Plains Court residence, where Lieber, his mother, and his grandmother all live. Per the arrest warrant, Lieber held his grandmother to the ground, twisted her arm behind her neck, and threw her down twice, leaving her with a minor elbow injury. Warrants further allege that he threatened to kill both his mother and his grandmother, and pointed a Taurus 3X pistol at his grandmother before turning the weapon on his mother's head when she stepped in.
Suspect Reportedly Spoke of Wanting to Kill Himself or His Grandmother
Police say Lieber indicated he felt the only way out of his situation was to kill his grandmother or himself, according to the same arrest warrant cited by the outlet's report. As officers loaded him into a patrol vehicle, Lieber intentionally spit on one of them, the warrant states — an act that under Georgia law can be charged as felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, carrying a prison term of one to five years upon conviction, as detailed by Grisham & Poole, P.C.
Lieber is currently held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, per the booking report. Detainees facing violent felony charges in Cobb County typically must appear before a Superior Court judge for a formal bond hearing, and courts routinely impose strict no-contact orders as a condition of any pretrial release in domestic violence matters, according to A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds.
Charges Carry Decades of Potential Prison Time
The two aggravated assault counts against Lieber each carry a potential sentence of three to 20 years in prison under Georgia Code § 16-5-21, since Georgia law automatically elevates simple assault to an aggravated charge whenever a firearm is pointed at a victim, per Grisham & Poole, P.C. The elder exploitation count is similarly severe: under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-102, knowingly inflicting physical harm or mental anguish on a person 65 or older is a felony punishable by one to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, or both, according to Justia Law.
Because the alleged victims are Lieber's own mother and grandmother living in the same household, the case falls under Georgia's family violence statute, O.C.G.A. § 19-13-1. That designation matters procedurally: state law allows prosecutors to continue pursuing charges even if the alleged victims later wish not to proceed, according to Zeliff | Watson.
Case Falls to Cobb Police Precinct 4
The Highland Ridge Estates subdivision where the alleged assault occurred sits off Sandy Plains Road in Northeast Cobb, an area of single-family homes within the Cobb County School District. The neighborhood falls under the jurisdiction of Cobb County Police Department Precinct 4, based on Lower Roswell Road and now commanded by Major Darin Hull following the January retirement of longtime commander Major Brian Batterton, per a report from EAST COBBER.
The Cobb County Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office maintains a specialized unit focused on elder abuse prosecutions and works alongside the multi-agency RedBud Blossom Family Justice Center to coordinate support services for victims of domestic violence and elder mistreatment, according to Peach State Lawyers. The same report also discusses cases like Lieber's.
Part of a Larger Pattern, Researchers Say
Cases of intra-family elder mistreatment are not isolated. Elder mistreatment can occur within families. In Georgia, Adult Protective Services within the Georgia Department of Human Services addresses abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults.
No further court dates for Lieber were available at the time of this report.
