A Gwinnett County judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case of a father accused of child cruelty after his 8-year-old daughter was allegedly beaten to death by his wife earlier this year, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Cledir Barros, 37, was charged with waiting too long to call for medical help after his daughter fell unconscious following the suspected beating, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
Barros’ wife, 34-year-old Natiela Barros, is charged with murder.
Arguments concluded in Cledir Barros’ trial Friday and the jury spent three hours deliberating before court was adjourned for the weekend, Channel 2 reported. The jury returned Monday and continued deliberations but sent several messages to the judge explaining that they were deadlocked.
On Monday, the jury rewatched body camera videos and listened again to 911 calls previously played during the trial, according to Channel 2. However, when no verdict was reached by evening, Superior Court Judge Karen Beyers declared a mistrial.
The case began the morning of Jan. 30, when 8-year-old Sayra Barros was at home with her stepmother, the AJC reported. Sayra, who officials said was homeschooled due to behavioral issues, got in trouble with Natiela Barros for playing with her toast at breakfast. She’d already been spanked that morning, and Natiela Barros next grabbed a rolling pin to punish the child, officials said.
Sayra initially survived the beating but began to show signs she was seriously injured, according to a report from the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. She asked her stepmother to go to the bathroom but was not allowed, ultimately soiling herself, the report said. Sayra then told Natiela Barros she wasn’t feeling well, then went pale and lost consciousness, according to the report.
Instead of calling 911, Natiela Barros called Cledir Barros, according to the DFCS report. He told his wife to pray and then went home. When he arrived, he prayed over his unconscious daughter for between 10 and 20 minutes before calling for medical help, the report said.
Cledir Barros was initially indicted on a second-degree murder charge, but that count was dropped during his trial, Channel 2 reported. The jury was deliberating over whether to convict him on his remaining charges: two counts of second-degree cruelty to children.
