Decatur Man Sentenced to 30 Years After Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, and Jail Escape

DEKALB COUNTY, Georgia – A Decatur man has been sentenced to decades in prison after pleading guilty in three separate criminal cases, including a disturbing incident in which a vehicle was stolen with a one-year-old child still inside.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced that on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 21-year-old Dieu Doumdje entered guilty pleas to multiple felony charges stemming from crimes committed over several years. DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Shondeana Morris accepted the pleas and sentenced Doumdje to 30 years in prison, with 15 years to be served in confinement. Due to the nature of the convictions, Doumdje is not eligible for early parole and must serve the full custodial sentence.

One of the cases dates back to November 10, 2021, when Clarkston Police responded just after 1 a.m. to reports of a kidnapped infant outside an apartment complex on Montreal Road. According to investigators, the child’s parents had left their one-year-old son asleep in his car seat inside their Ford Explorer while unloading groceries. When they returned to the vehicle, both the SUV and the child were gone.

The stolen vehicle was recovered about nine hours later on Memorial Drive, abandoned and without the child or car seat inside. The baby was found safe the following day after a woman discovered him inside her minivan parked in her driveway on Rogers Street in Clarkston. In connection with that incident, Doumdje pleaded guilty to Theft by Taking, Kidnapping, and Reckless Conduct.

Doumdje also pleaded guilty to charges related to an armed robbery involving two Clarkston High School students. On September 17, 2024, the students were attending outdoor classes when a classmate told them someone nearby needed help. The students followed the classmate to an apartment complex next to the school, where Doumdje emerged from behind a dumpster, pointed a handgun at them, and stole their phones and money. He then threatened to shoot them if they did not return to school without looking back. In that case, Doumdje pleaded guilty to two counts of Armed Robbery, two counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

In a third case, Doumdje admitted to helping three inmates escape from the DeKalb County Jail in December 2025. Investigators said that while he was in custody, Doumdje held up a blanket to block detention officers’ view, allowing other inmates to break out. He pleaded guilty to Aiding or Permitting Another to Escape Lawful Custody or Confinement for his role in that incident.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Max Friedman, with assistance from District Attorney Investigator Trevor Pearson and Victim Advocate Breanna Sawyer. The kidnapping investigation was led by Clarkston Police Lt. G. Trumble, and the robbery investigation was led by DeKalb County Police Detective T. Meason.