Update published Thursday, Feb. 1 at 12:00 p.m.
The father of an eight-year-old child who was found dead in a home near Bethlehem in Gwinnett County Tuesday has now been arrested.
Gwinnett County Police officials confirmed that Cledir Mendes Barros, age 37 of Bethlehem, was arrested Wednesday night on second degree murder and cruelty to children charges related to the girl's death.
Barros is the second person to be arrested in the case. His wife, the child's stepmother, Natiela Barros, age 34, was arrested Tuesday evening in the immediate aftermath of an investigation into the child's death.
Both Cledir and Natiela Barros are being held in the Gwinnett County Jail without bond as of Thursday morning.
Update published Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 9:30 a.m.
An eight-year-old girl's stepmother has been arrested in Gwinnett County and charged with murder following the young girl's death Tuesday afternoon.
The Gwinnett County Police Department said in an update Wednesday morning that Natiela Barros, 34, of Bethlehem, was charged with cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated assault, felony murder and malice murder in the case.
Barros was married to the child's biological father.
Gwinnett County Police previously told AccessWDUN officers responded to a medical emergency call at about 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on Vine Springs Trace near Bethlehem.
The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name was not released. Police initially said they believed the death was "suspicious" in nature.
Original story published Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 7:10 p.m.:
Authorities in Gwinnett County are investigating what officials are calling the suspicious death of an eight-year-old girl.
Police responded to a medical emergency call at approximately 2:16 p.m. Tuesday at a home on Vine Springs Trace near Bethlehem, according to Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle with the department.
An adult female was present and called the father of the eight-year-old girl, indicating she was unresponsive. The father of the girl responded by providing CPR and emergency medical services were contacted, authorities said Tuesday night.
The child was determined to be deceased by medical professionals at the scene.
Police at the scene contacted the homicide unit to complete an investigation, Winderweedle noted. The circumstances of the case were deemed "suspicious".
"The officers on scene saw something that determined ... they believed it to be suspicious and not a natural death and also the age of the child played into that," Winderweedle said.
Detectives with Gwinnett County are currently investigating and interviews with those present are taking place. No charges or arrests have been made as of the last report.
