A woman has been charged with murder in the death of her friend’s 4-year-old son after the boy was found dead inside an Atlanta, Georgia, townhome, according to police.
Jasmaine Smoak was initially arrested on charges of second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another following the discovery of the boy’s body the evening of Monday, October 26, the Atlanta Police Department said in a news release.
Officers found the boy deceased after they were called to conduct a welfare check and forced their way into the southwest Atlanta residence at the 3500 block of Cardinal Drive SW.
Smoak, 32, is accused of fleeing the home with three other children before police arrived, authorities said.
Investigators used license plate reader technology and tracked Smoak’s car to Wilkes County, where she was arrested and found with the three children, including one who was taken to a hospital with visible injuries, according to police.
Family members who spoke with FOX 5 Atlanta identified the injured child as Cayden Cooks, the 5-year-old brother of the boy who died, Colby Cooks. They said Cayden is in critical condition.
Police reportedly confirmed that Smoak is the friend of the boys’ mother.
Colby died as a result of blunt force trauma, an autopsy has revealed, per the news outlet.
A family friend, Destyne Akoon, told FOX 5 Atlanta that Smoak had been caring for Colby and his brother while their mother was incarcerated in Clarke County.
As a result of Colby’s autopsy, Atlanta police announced in an update on Thursday, October 28, that additional charges were brought against Smoak, including murder, aggravated assault and first-degree cruelty to children.
“He was 4; he was just the sweetest little boy ever, always smiling, and he loved his mommy; both of them did,” Colby’s aunt told 11Alive, referring to the boy and his brother.
In a Tuesday, October 27, Facebook statement, Wilkes County Sheriff Darrell Powers commended his deputies and Atlanta detectives for working together to locate Smoak following the boy’s death.
“Their efforts have removed this individual from the community, preventing the possibility of further harm to innocent children while allowing the judicial process to move forward,”Powers wrote.
As of Wednesday, Smoak remained detained at the Wilkes County Jail, according to police.
Information on whether she retained legal counsel wasn’t immediately available.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
