Archived News

Two children reported kidnapped from Wesley Chapel Road on Feb. 22 have been found safe, according to DeKalb County Police.

Police said 3-year-old Jalen Mattison and 1-year-old Amari Mattison were turned in at approximately 1 p.m. on Feb. 22, by two women who believed they were babysitting the children for a friend.

Police said the suspect has not yet been identified and the investigation continues. The Department of Family and Child Services has been notified due to concerns about the children’s care.

In an initial police report, the mother told police her vehicle had broken down on I-20 near Wesley Chapel Road at approximately 2 a.m. and she was assisted by an unknown Black male.

The mother reported that as she made arrangements to have her vehicle towed from the roadway, the suspect drove away with her children.

According to detectives, the suspect dropped the children off at a friend’s home shortly after taking them. The female friends, who said they know the suspect only by a nickname, later discovered through media reports that the children had been reported abducted. The women drove the children to the DeKalb County Magistrate Court and notified a uniformed officer they had them. The children were then taken to DeKalb County Police headquarters.

Police said the women do not face any charges at this time.

The suspect was described as a Black male, approximately 6-feet tall, with a thin build, according to police.  He was reportedly wearing a light brown or tan baseball hat and driving a 2000-05 hunter green Jeep Cherokee.