ATLANTA (TNND) — A Georgia father was arrested in connection to the death of his 6-month-old son after police said he told them the baby was kidnapped during an armed robbery.
Authorities identified the man as Antonio Pearce, who was charged with murder on Wednesday.
The Clayton County Police Department said Pearce reported his son, Nnakai Pratt, missing on Sunday. According to police, Pearce told investigators he was robbed at gunpoint, adding that the suspects took his baby from a car seat carrier and left the scene.
As the investigation into the missing child advanced, detectives became suspicious due to inconsistent testimony along with physical evidence that points to the existence of foul play,” police said on Monday in a news release shared on social media.
At the time, police said the “facts” surrounding the child’s alleged kidnapping were “highly questionable,” adding that they named Pearce as a suspect.
Police on Monday said bloodhounds and cadaver dogs from multiple agencies searched for the child during the course of at least two days. They later found the baby’s body in a wooded area on Tuesday.
Authorities had already arrested Pearce on Sunday and charged him with marijuana possession and traffic offenses. Authorities ended up adding a false statement charge because he kept changing his story.
Pearce was officially charged Wednesday with the baby’s murder, court records show. He was also charged with concealing a death, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to a child and falsely reporting a crime.
The baby was a twin, with his surviving brother in the care of their mother, who has not been charged. According to Fox 5 News, police said her involvement in the case is under investigation.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
