Suspect arrested after hours-long standoff in death of 4-year-old Niomi Rose

Richmond County deputies say the case that ended with Collin Aaron Aber in custody began with a frantic 911 call around 11:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, at a home on Edgeworth Drive in Hephzibah. First responders found 4-year-old Niomi Rose unresponsive and covered with visible injuries under her chin, on her stomach, on her back and elsewhere on her body. EMS rushed her to WellStar MCG Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m. Saturday.

By then, investigators say, the situation had already shifted from a medical emergency to a fast-moving manhunt. Deputies said Aber and Linda Rose left the Edgeworth Drive scene in a blue Chevy Acadia before officers could make contact. When deputies tried to stop the vehicle, Linda Rose got out, Aber kept going, and the brief flight turned into a pursuit that ended near Division Street and Curry Street in Augusta.

Aber then barricaded himself inside his father’s home in the 2000 block of Division Street, bringing the Richmond County SWAT Team into the case. After hours of negotiations, SWAT made entry and took him into custody. The sheriff’s office said Aber has been charged with murder, and more charges could still be filed as investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events.

Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen identified the child as Niomi Rose of Hephzibah and said an autopsy was scheduled. Bowen said Niomi died from blunt force trauma, and authorities said the injuries were believed to have been inflicted by an adult. That detail has made the case especially urgent for investigators, who still need to determine exactly what happened inside the Edgeworth Drive home and what role Linda Rose played before the car chase and standoff.

The death has already rippled through the family. A GoFundMe page set up for funeral expenses said Niomi’s aunt had stepped in as her legal guardian and that relatives were now trying to plan her burial. The rapid sequence from 911 call to death to chase to barricade left one child dead, one suspect jailed, and a homicide case still gathering evidence that could decide what charges come next.