Stepmother charged with murder of 8-year-old Gwinnett County girl

BETHLEHEM, Ga. - A Gwinnett County woman is facing charges including felony murder and child cruelty in the death of her 8-year-old stepdaughter.

Gwinnett County police have been investigating the child's death since Tuesday after medics rushed to the family's home in Bethlehem.

Investigators say a woman at the house, located along Vine Springs Trace inside the Ivey Springs subdivision, called the child's father, who rushed home to find the young girl "unresponsive." 

The father called 911 just after 2:15 p.m. reporting a medical emergency and began CPR on the girl.

Investigators say when Gwinnett County EMS arrived, medics found the young girl had died.

Investigators with the Gwinnett County Police Homicide Unit and the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office were called to the home due to the "suspicious" nature of the young girl's death.

Natiela Barros (Gwinnett County Police Department)

On Wednesday morning, officials charged the girl's stepmother, identified as 34-year-old Natiela Barros, with first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault, felony murder, and malice murder. Barros will remain in jail at this time.

An autopsy will be performed by the medical examiner's office to determine the cause and manner of death.

"I have seen her get on and off the bus," said Bridget Soto, who lives a few doors down from the girl’s home. "Coming home today, it was kind of scary, I didn’t know what was going on I was kind of surprised."

Soto said a lot of children live around there.

She was left to wonder what had transpired in that home.

"There are a lot of little kids in the neighborhood. It’s really sad."

Officials say the details surrounding the criminal investigation will remain confidential at this time due to Georgia law.

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