ATLANTA,None — A man has been arrested and charged with murdering a 4-year-old boy who died under the watch of the Georgia Division of Families and Children Services.
A Channel 2 Action News investigation first exposed the child's death after uncovering a high number of children who died while involved with DFACS.
DFACS case workers suspected 4-year-old Nasir Patrick was being abused and decided that he was not to be left alone with his mother, Yakeera Patrick, or her boyfriend, Michael Williams.
Following Nasir's death, an autopsy concluded his cause of death was a blow to the head, and his manner of death was homicide.
Atlanta police officers arrested Williams Tuesday night and charged him with murder in Nasir's death. He waived his first court appearance Wednesdsay. Patrick was also arrested and charged with cruelty to children.
Patrick is pregnant, but the state wants her sister to take custody of that child, along with her other child, a girl.
Channel 2's investigation found that a total of 35 children have died while having interaction with DFACS' since Dec. 1, 2011.
"The numbers can be considered to be alarming. Any time a child dies in Georgia, we're concerned about that," Tonya Boga of the Office of the Child Advocate said.
Three DFACS case workers were fired following Nasir's death.
The cause of the 35 deaths ranges from abuse, to health issues to accidents. Boga promised a thorough review of each case.
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