Father, daughter accused of starving baby to death; depriving 59-pound mother of food



PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. -- A 21-year-old woman who vanished four years ago has been found in a Georgia hotel, severely malnourished and weighing only 59 pounds.

Police say they also discovered an infant girl — starved to death — in the same room.

The woman, identified as Iasia Sweeting, was reported missing in 2010.

Gwinnett County police say 23-year-old Najaa Mcintosh has slowly started discussing what was happening in the family’s hotel room.

She and her 44-year old father Calvin both face murder, child cruelty and exploitation charges after a 15-month old baby died Tuesday of starvation.

“It was under his direction that if anyone was disobedient in the house, she is to deprive them of food,” said Cpl. Ed Ritter with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Investigators say three other children in room 310 were also malnourished.

Two of them are believed to be Iasia Sweeting’s, who was also nearly starved to death.

“We believe that if there wasn’t an intervention now, she would eventually die, and fairly soon,” police said.

Authorities say the family is part of the Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, a religion with a spotty history in Georgia.

The organization’s Putnam County compound was torn down after founder Dwight York was convicted of child molestation and tax evasion in 2004. He was sentenced to 135 years in prison.

Police say inside room 310 they found lots of literature on ritualistic behavior and the Nuwaubians.

“The children speak in a different language, they don’t speak English,” Ritter said. “They were raised on this language which is part of the Nuwaubian Nation of Moors.”