A Georgia couple is facing charges of child cruelty after leaving a toddler alone in the woods. Sarah Pombert and Joseph Turner, allegedly left a toddler to live alone in a shed. The little one had no running water, very little fresh air, and no clean clothes, putting the boy in danger of some serious medical or psychological damage. Neighbors are saying that behavior is the norm for the couple, and investigators are still trying to learn how the little one ended up in a shed in the first place.
Thirty-four-year-old Sarah Pombert and 35-year-old Joseph Turner were arrested on June 2, 2025, after allegedly keeping 3-year-old Bjorn Turner in a backyard shed between May 1 and May 22, according to an arrest warrant obtained by ABC News. There is no information about how the little boy is related to Pombert or Turner.
“The accused kept a dirty living space in a shed without running water or electricity, and left the child unsupervised, unbathed, and unclothed with criminal negligence,” the warrant states, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Authorities claim the couple caused “cruel or excessive mental or physical pain” to the toddler by keeping him locked up in the shed, per FOX 5 Atlanta. It is still unknown how the boy came to be living alone in the shed in the first place, and it may become even more difficult to discern because, according to a neighbor, the shed is no more.
Matthew Govoni, one of the couple’s neighbors, told WSB-TV that the shed is “gone,” and “not there anymore.” Govoni said a big fire occurred around Memorial Day, and the shed was destroyed. WSB-TV did confirm that the fire department responded to a call on Memorial Day. Govoni thinks the fire may have caused further investigation into the boy being left in the shed.
“With the lifestyle they live, I’m not surprised by any of that, really,” he said. “I’m saddened for them and the child, but I mean, for the child, I hope they can get to a place where they can be helped.”
Pombert and Turner were arrested on charges of second-degree child cruelty, per ABC News. They were being held in Douglas County Jail.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
