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5-month-old found after being taken from a northwest Georgia hotel

Rome police say kidnapping charges are pending against the noncustodial father of the child.
A 5-month-old infant was found after the noncustodial father took the child from a Rome hotel, police say. (Courtesy of the Rome Police Department)

Credit: (Courtesy of the Rome Police Department)

Credit: (Courtesy of the Rome Police Department)

A 5-month-old infant was found after the noncustodial father took the child from a Rome hotel, police say. (Courtesy of the Rome Police Department)
By
Jan 1, 2026

Rome police said early Thursday morning that kidnapping charges are pending against a father for taking his 5-month-old child when he did not have custody rights of the child.

Julion Mazzo, 23, took his son from the OYO Hotel on Shorter Avenue around 4:40 a.m., a Rome police spokesperson said.

Around 6:20 a.m., police reported the child was located safely. A Rome police spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the baby was reunited with his mother, who has custody of him, about an hour later.

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About the Author

Caleb Groves is a general assignment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's politics team and a Kennesaw State University graduate.

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