Police arrest woman in Wilkes County after toddler dies in Atlanta townhome

Jasmaine Smoak was arrested in Wilkes County on Tuesday after police recovered the body of a 4-year-old boy in a southwest Atlanta townhome. The child, identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner as Colby Cooks, was found inside a home in the Aviary Park community on Cardinal Drive. Officers responded to the residence around 7:20 p.m. on Monday for a welfare check. Upon entry, they determined the boy had died.

Smoak, 32, left the scene with three other children before arriving officers could detain her. One of the children was injured and transported to a hospital. Atlanta police utilized license plate reader technology to locate Smoak in Washington, Georgia, which is approximately two hours east of the city. Wilkes County sheriff's deputies took her into custody hours after the initial response.

Amber Burks, a resident of the gated community, stated she heard officers banging on the door and moved closer to observe the response. She recorded video of the police activity from her home. Burks described the scene as traumatic, noting that she watched until the stretcher arrived to remove the child. She said the incident has shaken her sense of security in the neighborhood.

“Everyone goes rushing in, of course, at that point. That’s when they start bringing out the yellow tape, closing off the area,” Burks said. She added that the event left her feeling nauseous when thinking about the details.

Police charged Smoak with second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another. Authorities confirmed that Smoak is not related to the victim. She remains in custody in Wilkes County while awaiting extradition to Fulton County.