Three people accused of abusing a 12-year-old boy and reportedly shaving the word “gay” into his hair during an incident posted on Instagram have been arrested by police in Georgia.
Thirty-five-year-old Brittney Monique Mills, 19-year-old Lorkeyla Jamia Spencer, and 18-year-old Jordan Jarrode Richards-Nwankwo were charged with cruelty to children and are in custody at the Fulton County Jail, the Atlanta Police Department announced on Friday. Richards-Nwankwo was also charged with battery-family violence.
Authorities learned of the social media video the day it was posted on June 17. The police department’s special victims unit then began investigating to identify the victim, according to police.
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A man in the video is seen hitting the victim, who had the letters “GA” shaved into his head, and saying, “You still doing gay s***. You think I cut this in your head for no reason?” according to a police report.
The man then slapped the boy “with an open hand on the side of his head while holding the top of the child’s head with his opposing hand,” the report said.
Law enforcement identified the juvenile, who was placed in the care of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services on June 18, and obtained warrants for the suspects, authorities said.
Local reports and information provided by police indicate the victim is related to the suspects. However, law enforcement reportedly removed information from an announcement revealing the relationship to provide the victim privacy.
“We’re very pleased with these arrests, but we are pleased with feedback that we got from members of the community assisting in this and how quickly they were able to jump on it,” said Atlanta Police Department. Sgt. John Chafee.
“This was a difficult video to watch when you see someone … a young person being abused like this,” Chafee said. “It was tough to watch.”
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All three suspects were booked into Fulton County Jail on Friday, according to public records. Bond for Spencer and Mills was set at $40,000, while Richards-Nwankwo’s combined bond for the two charges is $50,000. Information about their court dates was not immediately available.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office could not immediately be reached for additional information.
