Gwinnett Daily Post

NORCROSS -- A Norcross man is behind bars for child abuse after leaving the 6-year-old daughter of his girlfriend with a drunk friend early Sunday morning, police said.

Jamie Bautista was given the care of his girlfriend's daughter while she "went out of state," Gwinnett County police spokesman Officer Brian Kelly said. Bautista then left the 6-year-old in the care of a friend, Jose Dominguez-Gomez, for an "undetermined" amount of time while he "went out," Kelly said.

Police responded when the child was found wandering the parking lot of the apartment complex off Sparrows Lane near Norcross Tucker Road unattended between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m.

Dominguez-Gomez was located and found to be intoxicated and unaware the child had left the apartment, Kelly said.

Both men were arrested for cruelty to children and remained in Gwinnett County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon.

The young girl was released to an aunt that lived nearby, Kelly said.