J’Asiah Mitchell, 2, is seen in pictures (via DeKalb County (Ga.) Police Dept.). Inset: Artavious Rashod North (via DeKalb County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Offce).
Police made a grim discovery after a missing toddler’s father allegedly lied about his disappearance. Officers in East Point, Georgia, did not identify the remains, but they believe it could be J’Asiah Mitchell, 2.
The remains were found Wednesday at about 1:30 p.m. at the East Point Transfer Station at 3125 R.N. Martin Street, police said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is working to confirm the body’s identity. Officers are looking at the child’s father, Artavious Rashod North, 23, as a possible suspect because he was the last person seen with J’Asiah.
DeKalb County police on Wednesday initially operated under the premise that robbers kidnapped Mitchell at “around 11:23p.m. near the 3300 block of Flat Shoals Road.”
Cops arrested the boy’s father, Artavious Rashod North, 23, saying he lied about the disappearance. He remains at the DeKalb County Jail on a count each of making a false report and falsely reporting a crime since being booked there Thursday night, records show.
North’s kidnapping story, as relayed by family, is that a car had been trailing him while he was leaving the apartment complex where Mitchell lived, according to Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA in a report published Thursday morning.
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J’Asiah was reportedly wearing Buzz Lightyear pajamas at the time.
Police were unequivocal when changing their stance on North’s story.
“Our investigation found that there was no armed robbery nor kidnapping in DeKalb County,” DeKalb County police said Thursday night.
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“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,” J’Asiah’s grandmother, Leriesa Mitchell, told WAGA. “I think the dad needs to tell us what happened.”
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