Man sentenced in death of boy made to hold paint buckets

ATLANTA — Prosecutors say a suburban Atlanta man who forced a boy to hold paint buckets outdoors for hours as punishment on a hot June day has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus 50 years.

The Fulton County District Attorney's Office says 32-year-old Omar Pitts of College Park pleaded guilty Friday to murder and other charges in the death of his girlfriend's 12-year-old brother, Jay'tavious Mahone.

District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. said paramedics tried to revive Mahone outside a College Park home on June 17, 2010, but he later died. Howard's statement says investigators determined the boy also was forced to wear a dress and makeup, punished for taking his shoes off after being told not to. Authorities say Pitts also kicked Mahone after the boy collapsed after hours in the sun.

Upcoming Events