A 44-year-old Gwinnett County man was arrested early Wednesday after police said he set his home on fire and stabbed his wife and their two children.
Officers were dispatched to a fire in the 5200 block of Santee Street in unincorporated Stone Mountain, Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera said. They learned Jamie Bernal Gomez was under the influence of alcohol and had argued with his family before going into a bathroom and setting items on fire in the bathtub, Pihera said.
Johanna Brown, Gomez’s 32-year-old wife, attempted to put out the fire, and Gomez allegedly stabbed her numerous times. When their children, a 16-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter, attempted to help their mom, Gomez stabbed them as well, Pihera said.
Two other children and their 66-year-old maternal grandmother were in the home at the time of the assault, but they were not harmed. The family’s dog, a large German shepherd, was found dead inside the home. The fire caused moderate damage over the basement of the single-story brick and wood frame house.
Before officers arrived, Gomez jumped out a window, ran and was seen attacking a car parked in the 5200 block of Deep Springs Drive, Pihera said.
Police later found him a few houses away lying in a neighbor’s yard with a knife nearby.
“After the suspect refused to comply with the officer’s commands,” the officer used a Taser to subdue Gomez, who was taken to Eastside Medical Center for treatment, Pihera said.
He was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of cruelty to children, two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree, and one count each of arson, criminal trespassing and obstruction of a law enforcement officer. In addition to alcohol, police believe he may have been under the influence of an unknown drug.
The mother and son, who had the most severe injuries, were taken to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment. The teen daughter was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
All three victims are expected to survive.
About the Author
