Atlanta police arrested 42-year-old Jonesboro resident Daniel Barnett on Tuesday on charges of criminal trespass, damage to property and reckless conduct. (Allison Guillory/WABE)
This story was updated on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 5:29 p.m.
Atlanta police say they’ve arrested the suspect who was recorded allegedly cutting up tents at the Old Wheat Street homeless encampment in the Sweet Auburn District earlier this month.
According to APD officials, the department took 42-year-old Daniel Barnett into custody Tuesday after he was identified while attending court at the Fulton County Courthouse on unrelated charges. He was subsequently transported to the Fulton County Jail for processing.
On March 7, officials stated that APD spoke to several individuals who claimed that their tents had been damaged by “an unidentified male suspect using a cutting tool.”
During this time, a video circulated on social media showing Barnett, also known by the alias “Davinci,” destroying the makeshift shelters.
The homeless encampment is located across from Ebenezer Baptist Church, the same area where Cornelius Taylor, a 34-year-old man experiencing homelessness, died during a city sweep in January.
In the wake of Taylor’s death, community members formed the Coalition for Justice for Cornelius Taylor in the Atlanta resident’s honor. In a recent press release, the organization urged the city to pursue immediate action against the suspect in the tent-slashings, stating that officials “cannot allow another citizen to be killed because their humanity is not respected.”
“In response to Taylor’s death, the Atlanta City Council implemented measures to ensure the safety and rights of individuals experiencing homelessness. However, the recent emergence of a vigilante targeting the Old Wheat Street encampment has raised new concerns about the well-being of its residents,” the release read.
Barnett, the suspect in the tent-slashing, heads S.A.F.E., the Sweet Auburn Frontline Enforcement, a volunteer organization that states on its website that it is “committed to reclaiming and revitalizing Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn district.” The organization refers to its volunteers as good samaritans of the district, intending to work to restore the community as a symbol of “Black Excellence.”
The organization also highlights encampment closure as one of its major initiatives, along with crime deterrence and risk reduction.
Atlanta mayor’s office denies affiliation with suspect
In addition to charges from APD, City of Atlanta officials confirmed they are sending Barnett a cease-and-desist letter for using a false endorsement from Mayor Andre Dickens on S.A.F.E.’s website.
S.A.F.E. lists Dickens as a “stakeholder” and includes a quote attributed to him.
“They know people intimately that get to understand their plight and what they’re doing on how we can get further together,” the quote said.
A screenshot of a supposed endorsement of S.A.F.E. by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on the organization’s website. Dickens’ office denies any affiliation with Daniel Barnett, aka Davinci Barcelo, the founder and CEO of S.A.F.E. (Screenshot)
Dickens’ press secretary Michael Smith told WABE that Dickens has no affiliation with Barnett.
“As a public figure, the Mayor meets many individuals daily; if indeed there was an interaction, this does not imply any endorsement or affiliation. The Mayor does not know this man,” Smith said in a statement.
Barnett is a Jonesboro resident, according to Fulton County Jail records. He was charged with two counts of criminal trespass and damage to property and one count of reckless conduct. He is still in jail as of Wednesday afternoon.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled Cornelius Taylor’s name. It is now corrected.
