PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA – A 6-year-old boy, identified as Jayveon Pruitt, was found dead with multiple stab wounds in an apartment fire.
The incident occurred on October 19, shortly before 8 a.m., when the Gwinnett County Police Department and Gwinnett County Fire Department responded to a fire at an apartment located at 4900 Springs in Peachtree Corners. Firefighters discovered the unresponsive child upon entering a first-level unit in response to an audible fire alarm. The boy was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead. He was the sole occupant of the apartment at the time.
Officers from the West Precinct arrived to start the criminal investigation and to search for any persons of interest. At 9:15 a.m., a woman was found behind the building with wet clothing and wearing one sock. She was taken into custody.
The woman, identified as A’zaria Shante Burton, 23, also of Peachtree Corners, was later charged with multiple crimes including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Arson 1st Degree, Aggravated Assault, Tampering with Evidence, Possession of a Knife during the Commission of Certain Crimes, and Cruelty to Children 1st Degree. Burton was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on October 20 at around 9:30 p.m. and is being held with no bond.
The motivation behind the crime is still under investigation.