Georgia – A Georgia coupIe, 34-year-old S. Pumbert and 35-year-old J. Tarner, were arrested earlier this month in Georgia and charged with second-degree crueIty to chiIdren. According to the arrest warrant filed by the Sheriff’s Office, the coupIe allegedly forced a three‑year‑old boy, identified as Bjorrn, to live alone in a backyard outbuiIding behind their home for three weeks.
The warrant states that the structure was fiIthy and lacked running water or electricity. Georgia iInvestigators allege the child was left unsupervised, unbathed, and without clothing, enduring criminal negligence that could have caused physical or mental harm. Officers reportedly discovered the situation after a neighbor tipped them off following a fire in the shed during Memorial Day weekend, which drew attention to the structure and led to further inquiry.
The Sheriff’s Office began its investigation after being alerted to the fire and the possibility that a child had been living there. Search warrants and interviews were conducted, and Georgia authorities learned the shed had served as a makeshift living space for the boy for the three‑week period in early May. Deputies say the inside was covered in debris and filth, and the child was unsupervised, unbathed and unclothed, according to the warrant.
When responding officers made contact with the parents, the couple reportedly confirmed the child’s living situation in the outbuilding, acknowledging that the shed lacked basic utilities. They admitted to leaving the child there with minimal contact and denied providing a reason, citing what they described as a private lifestyle choice. However, they were unable to point to any legitimate justification for placing the child in the unsafe environment. The officers documented the couple’s statements in their reports, noting that they both appeared to have known about the structure’s condition and still left the child there for an extended period.
Neighbors say the couple had lived at the property for over a decade. One neighbor told local news outlet he was not surprised by the allegations given the couple’s lifestyle. He said, “With the lifestyle they live, I’m not surprised by any of that, really,” adding that he hoped the child could receive assistance. The man also confirmed that a fire damaged the shed during Memorial Day weekend and that emergency responders had been called to the scene.
Officials have not publicly explained how the child was identified as living in the shed beyond the neighbor’s reports and the fire. It remains unclear if the child will be placed in protective custody or returned to the home pending legal resolution. Georgia authorities continue to gather additional evidence and plan to present both physical documentation from the shed and testimonial evidence in court. Investigators are also reaching out to child welfare agencies to assess the boy’s overall well‑being and explore long‑term safety plans.
