Candlelight vigil held for Atlanta 6-year-old boy beaten to death

ATLANTA — On Wednesday night, the family of 6-year-old Tobias Perkins Jr. held a candlelight vigil in his honor.

The little boy was beaten and killed at the hands of a man who the family said was the child’s mother’s boyfriend, Dashon Jones. It’s still hard to believe for the family of Tobias Perkins Junior.

Like any 6-year-old, if he was at D.H. Stanton Park, he would’ve been running around. Instead, there are candles lit in his honor, surrounding a picture of his smiling face.

“We going to let these balloons go and let him fly high because we know that he is with God,” said one family member.

This family is grieving but also angry and looking for answers.

It was last Tuesday when Tobias was taken to a fire station, unresponsive and he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Investigators believe the boy was beaten.

According to the police report, there was blunt force trauma to his body.

Dashon Jones is now in the Fulton County jail, charged with Tobias’ murder. The family said they want to know exactly what happened.

“Apparently, he was the boyfriend of the mother we don’t really know much about him,” said cousin Cedric Perkins Junior. “We have so many questions about what happened and how it happened, it’s a tragedy.”

While they wait to learn more, they’re remembering Tobias, or TJ as he was known, as a happy-go-lucky child. His father said he would make friends by shaking other people’s hands.

Now they’re left with just memories and pictures of his smile, and promising to fight for justice.

Tobias’ funeral is set for Friday at 1 p.m.