Grandma gets temporary custody of baby left on doorstep

By MASHAUN D. SIMON

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Police on Tuesday night arrested a mother accused of abandoning her 1-year-old son, authorities said.

Ashley Barze, 22, was arrested on the charge of child cruelty, and is being held in the Gwinnett County Detention Center on $5,700 bond.

At 43, Barze’s mother Cathy Crawford could not have imagined that she would be raising another child.

But four days ago, she found herself responsible for her grandson after Barze allegedly left him alone on Crawford’s doorstep.

“Being a parent, you do what you have to do,” said Crawford in reference to raising baby Johnathon Barze.

Gwinnett County police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli said police made a missing persons report on Barze just in case of foul play.

“She disappeared and left no information as to her whereabouts,” he said.

It was between 5:50 and 6 a.m. on Friday when Crawford found the baby on her doorstep, she said. She then called the police.

She told police she heard a noise outside after she woke to get ready for work.

She “looked out and saw something on her front porch,” according to the incident report.

Her grandson was strapped in his car seat on the front porch. How long he had been out there, Crawford could not say.

According to the report, the child had a cough, but otherwise appeared to be in good health.

Officers went to Barze’s last known address, but were told that she only stays there part of the time, and that her friends had last seen her around 3 a.m. Friday.

Crawford said she is already taking steps to become the child’s legal guardian. In the meantime, she has been given temporary custody of the child pending further investigation by the Department of Family and Children Services, Schiralli said .

“The determination will be made based off of what’s best for the child,” he said.

--Staff writers Mike Morris and Marcus K. Garner contributed to this report.