Police said Jasmaine Smoak left the home with three children before her arrest in Wilkes County, where one injured child was hospitalized.
ATLANTA — A 32-year-old woman was arrested after 4-year-old Colby Cooks was found dead inside a southwest Atlanta townhome, authorities said, as investigators work to determine what happened before officers arrived for a welfare check.
Atlanta police said officers responded about 7:20 p.m. Monday to the Aviary Park townhome community in the 3500 block of Cardinal Drive SW. Officers forced their way inside based on information received during the welfare check and found the boy unresponsive. Emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures but could not revive him. The Fulton County Medical Examiner later identified the child as Colby Cooks.
Police said 32-year-old Jasmaine Smoak had left the residence with three children before officers arrived. Authorities said one of those children had visible injuries and was taken to a hospital near Wilkes County for treatment. Police have not publicly described the nature or severity of those injuries or explained how they occurred. The conditions of the other two children also have not been detailed.
Atlanta homicide detectives worked with the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office to locate Smoak after she left Atlanta. Investigators used license plate reader technology to trace her vehicle to Washington, Georgia, more than 100 miles east of Atlanta. Sheriff’s deputies took her into custody and booked her into the Wilkes County Detention Center.
Smoak faces charges of second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another, according to police. The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court. Authorities said Smoak is a friend of Cooks’ mother and is not related to the child. Investigators have not publicly alleged a specific act by Smoak that caused the boy’s death.
The circumstances surrounding Cooks’ death remain unclear. Police have not released a cause or manner of death, and authorities have not said where inside the townhome the child was found. Investigators also have not disclosed what prompted the welfare check or where the boy’s mother was when police responded.
The case has drawn attention in the gated southwest Atlanta community as detectives continue collecting evidence and interviewing people connected to the home. Police have released few details about the events leading up to the welfare check, leaving major questions about the child’s death unresolved. Authorities have also not publicly explained the relationship between Smoak and the three children who were with her when she left Atlanta.
Investigators have emphasized the developing nature of the case. Early reports identified only a 4-year-old boy who had been found dead, while later reporting identified him as Cooks and provided additional information about the three children who left with Smoak. No additional suspects or charges had been publicly announced as of Wednesday morning.
Smoak remained in custody in Wilkes County awaiting extradition to Atlanta, according to the latest local reporting. The investigation into Cooks’ death is continuing, and authorities have not announced when autopsy findings or additional information about the circumstances of his death will be released.
Author note: Last updated October 28, 2026.