Crime
Body of missing 6-month-old Nnakai Pratt found near Riverdale apartment complex
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The search for 6-month-old Nnakai Pratt, who was reported missing three days ago, ended tragically on Tuesday evening when authorities discovered the infant’s body near an apartment complex in Clayton County.
The grim discovery came 84 hours after the baby’s father, Antonio Pearce, claimed his son had been abducted during an alleged armed robbery.
Clayton County police confirmed that Nnakai’s twin sibling remains safe and in the care of their mother, who investigators say is not believed to be involved in the case.
Investigators returned to the Valley Hill Road apartment complex shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday to conduct another extensive search, after spending much of the day reviewing evidence and retracing previous search efforts.
By 6:30 p.m., officers established a perimeter with crime scene tape near a dumpster and the wooded area adjacent to the complex.
A few hours later, around 7 p.m., police confirmed the heartbreaking discovery of baby Nnakai’s body.
Authorities have not yet disclosed how or where the infant was found, citing the ongoing investigation.
Clayton County Police confirmed Monday that Antonio Pearce, the child’s father, is now the primary suspect in his son’s disappearance and death.
Pearce was arrested earlier this week on unrelated charges, including possession of marijuana and multiple traffic violations.
Pearce initially told officers that he and his infant son were the victims of an armed robbery at the apartment complex around 8 a.m. Sunday.
According to his account, assailants robbed him at gunpoint, stealing his belongings and allegedly taking the baby from a car seat before fleeing the scene.
However, police said inconsistencies in Pearce’s statements, combined with evidence suggesting possible foul play, led investigators to doubt his version of events.
Detectives subsequently shifted the focus of the investigation from a kidnapping case to a potential criminal homicide.
Court records show that Pearce has a prior criminal history, including charges of simple battery and cruelty to children filed in 2022. Authorities have not confirmed whether those charges involved his own children.
For two days, search teams — including K-9 units and cadaver dogs — scoured wooded areas, dumpsters, and drainage systems near Valley Hill Road but initially found no sign of the missing child.
Clayton County Police have not yet announced whether additional charges will be filed against Pearce in connection with Nnakai’s death.
He remains in custody and is expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday.
“This is a devastating loss for everyone involved,” a police spokesperson said Tuesday evening. “Our detectives have worked tirelessly on this case from the moment the call came in, and our thoughts are with Nnakai’s family during this unimaginable time.”
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the baby’s official cause and manner of death.
Crime
Noemi Hernandez, Mother of Four Murdered By Her Husband Hector Luvianos Two Days Before Christmas
BATAVIA, Ill. — A devastating domestic homicide has left a family and community in mourning just days before Christmas.
Noemi Hernandez, a devoted mother of four, was fatally attacked in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Dec. 23, in what prosecutors allege was a violent act committed by her husband.
The incident occurred at an apartment building in the 100 block of Church Street in Batavia.
According to court records and police reports, at approximately 4:37 a.m., Batavia police were dispatched after a man contacted emergency dispatchers and stated that he had killed his wife.
Responding officers located the man outside the apartment building and took him into custody without incident.
When officers entered the apartment, they found Hernandez suffering from severe, life-threatening injuries.
First responders immediately attempted life-saving measures; however, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities identified the suspect as Hector B. Luvianos, 37, who was transported to the Batavia Police Department for questioning.
With assistance from the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force, investigators determined the incident was domestic-related and involved only the two individuals. Police emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
On Dec. 24, 2025, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser and Batavia Police Chief Eric Blowers announced that Luvianos has been formally charged with first-degree murder, a Class M felony under Illinois law.
He appeared in court the same day for a pretrial detention hearing, after which a judge ordered him held in the Kane County Jail while the case proceeds.
The Kane County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene, and an autopsy is scheduled to determine the official cause and manner of Hernandez’s death.
In the wake of the tragedy, Hernandez’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral and related expenses.
In the fundraiser, the family described Noemi as “the heart of her family,” noting that she worked tirelessly, loved deeply, and always placed her children first. Her sudden death, they wrote, has left the family emotionally devastated and financially unprepared.
As an immigrant family with limited resources and no life insurance, they now face the burden of funeral and cremation costs, legal fees, and other unexpected expenses, all while supporting four children grieving the loss of their mother.
The family is asking for community support to allow them to lay Noemi to rest with dignity and focus on healing rather than financial hardship.
The investigation remains ongoing.