On October 19, 2023 in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, a disturbing scene was uncovered when firefighters responded to a call about a fire at an apartment complex.
Upon entering a first-level unit, emergency responders found an unresponsive 6-year-old boy with multiple stab wounds. Despite being rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the boy, later identified as Jayveon Pruitt, was pronounced dead.
The Gwinnett Police Department took charge of the investigation. Not long after, officers found an adult female behind the same apartment building. The woman, identified as A’zaria Shante Burton, was dressed in wet clothing and was missing a sock. It was later confirmed that Burton lived in the apartment where Jayveon’s body was discovered and was his mother.
Burton, a 23-year-old resident of Peachtree Corners, was subsequently arrested and faces multiple felony charges in connection with the grim discovery. These charges include one count each of malice murder, felony murder, first-degree arson, aggravated assault, first-degree cruelty to children, felony tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm or knife in the commission of certain crimes.
The apartment complex in question is located in the 4900 block of Springs in Peachtree Corners. The alarm was raised by an individual living on an upper level of the complex, who heard a smoke detector sounding from one of the lower residences.
It remains unclear what events transpired leading up to the incident, and as the investigation continues, a motive has not yet been disclosed by the police. What is known, however, is that Jayveon was alone in the burning apartment when first responders arrived. After her discovery and arrest, Burton was transported to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. She was later booked by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office and is in custody without bond.
