DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — UPDATE: According to DeKalb County Police, the missing child has been located. Police said the child was indeed safe in DFCS custody under a different name in another county.
"We are thankful our detectives were able to put the pieces together and closure was brought to the boy’s grandmother," police said in a statement.
They added that false statement charges are pending against the child's mom.
Original story:
The DeKalb County Police Department is turning to the public, asking for help to find a missing 5-year-old child.
According to DeKalb Police, the boy's grandmother reported him missing on August 2. However, it's been months since the last time she saw the child.
Police said the child's mother told investigators that in mid-April, she left her son with an acquaintance near Candler Road and Rainbow Drive. But shortly after, she was incarcerated in a nearby jurisdiction. The grandmother told officers the last time she saw the child was in April.
The boy's mother said the child was still with the acquaintance who told her he was turned over to the Division of Family & Children Services.
However, DFCS confirmed that no child matching his description is in their care. The identity of the acquaintance has not been confirmed.
According to police, the mother is not considered a suspect at this time.
Anyone with information that could help police find Barnett is asked to call DeKalb's Special Victims Unit at 770-724-7710 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS.