EAST POINT, Ga. — A day after police said that murder charges were pending against the father of a 2-year-old who was found dead in an East Point landfill last week, they confirmed warrants had been obtained on those charges.
They now include both malice and felony murder in the case against Artavious North. Additionally, the 23-year-old's charges include first degree child cruelty and concealing the death of another.
It comes after the toddler, J'Asiah Mitchell, was first reported missing a little more than two weeks ago. North initially reported the child kidnapped in a robbery attempt, only for DeKalb County police to determine that had never happened.
RELATED: Remains found at landfill confirmed to be missing 2-year-old boy's; father to be charged with murder
A dayslong search led to the discovery of toddler's remains in the landfill on Aug. 23. J'Asiah's remains were positively identified more than a week later on Thursday.
J’Asiah Mitchell | Gallery
Questions still remain about what exactly led to the child's death. According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office, a cause of death is still pending.
North was first arrested, before J'Asiah's body was found, on false reports of a crime and false statements. The search effort spanned from the Decatur area, where North first reported the kidnapping and robbery, to an East Point apartment complex where the father had been staying - including the daylong draining of a pond as part of the search effort - to a landfill site in Griffin.
"He's a very sweet baby. He's a good baby, he's very smart," J'Asiah's mom previously told 11Alive.
North, who had also been wanted out of Carroll County for an unrelated crime, was previously denied bond in a magistrate court appearance.