A Clayton County mother and her boyfriend have been arrested after authorities said he beat the woman’s 6-year-old son so savagely that he was knocked unconscious and she waited two days to take him to the hospital.
Clayton police described the boy’s condition as “extremely grave” as he suffers from a brain bleed, broken bones, a blood clot in his lung and severe bruising. The assault took place Sunday, police said, but the 6-year-old was not taken to the hospital until Tuesday.
The boy’s mother, 33-year-old Porshe Wells, was arrested Wednesday on multiple counts, including first- and second-degree child cruelty, contributing to the deprivation of a child and making false statements, police said. Her boyfriend, 36-year-old Napolean Ates, was arrested the day before and is accused of physically assaulting the child. He is facing charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and first-, second- and third-degree child cruelty, among other counts.
Police opened an investigation after officers were called to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Hughes Spalding Hospital on Tuesday when the boy was brought in still unconscious. Investigators conducted multiple interviews and learned that Ates believed Wells’ son stole $80 from him and gave it to their roommate over the weekend.
Ates began beating the child in front of Wells, eventually leaving the boy bruised, unconscious and foaming at the mouth, police said. Wells initially told investigators she was not present at the time of the beating, then later revealed that Ates told her to leave the room after the assault started, police said. She told investigators she tried to revive the 6-year-old with a cold bath, but it was ineffective.
According to police, between Sunday and Tuesday afternoon, Wells went to work, got her nails done and “did her normal daily duties.”
Hospital staff called the police at about 3 p.m. Tuesday to report that the boy appeared to have been assaulted. Ates was arrested later that day and booked into the Clayton jail just before 11:30 p.m., online records show. Wells was booked just after 9:15 p.m. Wednesday. Both remain in jail without bond.
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