Police begin to drain lake near apartment complex where 2-year-old DeKalb boy went missing
Search for toddler J’Asiah Mitchell enters another night
The search continues for a missing toddler J’Asiah Mitchell. East Point Police are draining a pond at an apartment complex where the boy may have been seen last. The 2-year-old’s father originally said he was kidnapped but now the boy’s father is charged with lying about the child’s disappearance.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The search for 2-year-old J'Asiah Mitchell took a grim turn as police searched a lake at an East Point apartment complex Friday. The boy's father has been arrested, charged with lying about the child's disappearance.
Late Thursday, DeKalb County Police announced the child's father, 23-year-old Artavious North, was arrested for false statement and false report of a crime. J'Asiah's grandfather, Jonathan Wyatt, urged North to tell investigators what happened to the boy.
Wyatt and other family members gathered nearby as East Point Police and city water crews drained the lake on the grounds of the Elite at Lakeview Apartment Complex on Lakeview Place.
Police now say J'Asiah's father was lying when he reported the child was kidnapped by armed men as he was leaving an apartment complex on Flat Shoals Road in Panthersville Wednesday night.
Search for 2-year-old J'Asiah Mitchell takes grim turn
The search for little J'Asiah Mitchell is now well into its second day, and has taken a grim turn. Part of that search led investigators to the griffin landfill on Shoal Creek Road where detectives searched for any sign of the missing child. And an East Point apartment complex, where police are now draining a lake. Authorities have charged J'Asiah's father with lying about his son's disappearance. DeKalb County Police say the child was not kidnapped as the father first told them.
Police say there was no armed robbery or kidnapping committed in DeKalb County.
Investigators are now focusing their search on the East Point complex where North lives with his girlfriend. They also searched a landfill in Griffin as part of the investigation Friday.
As J'Asiah's family watched search efforts at the apartment complex, they clung to the hope the little boy would be found safe.
Father of 2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell arrested
The father of a 2-year-old boy, who was originally reported as being kidnapped from his DeKalb County apartment complex during an armed robbery, has been arrested for making false statements and filing a false report of a crime.
Artavious North, 23, was arrested and taken into custody by police late Thursday evening by DeKalb County Police.
Artavious North
Investigators, in a release late Thursday, state "there was no armed robbery nor kidnapping in DeKalb County," but did not state if one occurred outside their jurisdiction. They say the lead investigating agency in the case will now be the East Point Police Department.
However, the mystery as to what happened to 2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell remains and with his father's arrest, it has raised even more questions which cannot be immediately answered.
2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell reportedly kidnapped
The news of the kidnapping of 2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell became public just hours after the supposedly armed robbery.
"The last person he was with was his daddy," Asia Mitchell, the boy’s mother, told FOX 5’s Christopher King.
The toddler was dressed in Buzz Lightyear pajamas.
"Somebody pulled up on him while he was leaving out this neighborhood and held him at gunpoint and took my baby from him," his mother said.
Initially, police were told that the incident happened at around 11:23 p.m. Thursday at the Aspen Woods Apartments located at 3379 Flat Shoals Road in Decatur. North told family members a car started trailing him as he left the complex.
"And said the car swerved in front of him as he was trying to leave out the entrance of the apartment complex, jumped out with guns asked him for something. He didn’t have it, so they took my grandson," his grandmother said.
By Thursday afternoon, inconsistencies in that story became apparent.
"There’s either more to the story, or the whole story is just a lie, because even if it was a drug deal gone bad, or whatever the case may be, they would hurt him and not the baby," his grandmother said. "I think the dad need to tell us what happened."
"We are working through inconsistencies in the reporting of the alleged kidnapping. The investigation is fluid and evolving. We are working with federal state and local law enforcement partners to follow up on all available leads," a statement released by the DCPD early Thursday evening states, adding the first priority is finding the toddler.
Just before midnight, police announced North’s arrest.
Mother, grandmother plead for safe return of J'Asiah Mitchell
J'Asiah's mother and grandmother have been on an emotion rollercoaster all day waiting for any word on the missing toddler.
"I just want to find him," his mother said.
Please give him back, please. Don't mess my family up," the toddler's grandmother said.
Just like the police, the first priority for the family of J'Asiah is for him to be found, and hopefully safe.
"Please bring my baby back safe and unharmed because he’s more than what you think he is. He has people who love him," his mother said. "I just want to get my baby. That’s it. He wasn’t a part of anything that was going on."
"Take him anywhere. Just leave him and let us know where he is at and let us pick him up or just tell somebody to call somebody, and we will come get him. But please just give him to us. Please," his grandmother pleaded.
Police have been working around the clock to try to make that happen, but with the arrest of the young child’s father, the family is uncertain as to what will happen.
"I’m overwhelmed. I’m tired, exhausted, scared," his mother said.
Where is 2-year-old J'Asiah Mitchell?
The DeKalb County Police Homicide Unit, which handles missing person’s cases, says it is now turning over the search for 2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell over to the East Point Police Department.
The agency did not disclose as to why the case was being transferred out of their jurisdiction only that the "location of 2-year-old J’asiah Mitchell is still unknown."
As of early Friday morning, East Point Police have not responded to inquiries from FOX 5 about an update in the case and nothing had been posted on their social media accounts.
Anyone who sees the boy should call 911. Anyone with information about the case should contact the East Point Police Department.
This story is breaking. Check back for details. If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com.
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NOTE: An earlier version of this story and on-air reports indicated the boy's name is Josiah. This was based on information provided by the police department.