Woman arrested after 4-year-old child found dead in southwest Atlanta home

Atlanta police responded to a welfare check Monday evening in a gated community on the 3500 block of Cardinal Drive SW in southwest Atlanta, where they found a 4-year-old child deceased inside a townhome, Atlanta News First reported.

Emergency medical personnel attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful, according to Atlanta police. The child’s identity and the exact circumstances of the death remain under investigation.

A woman, identified by Atlanta police as a friend of the victim’s mother, was arrested and charged with second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another. Separately, the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office said deputies arrested Jasmaine Smoak and charged her with murder. It is unclear how deputies located her in Wilkes County, about 300 miles northeast of Atlanta, and the relationship between the charges remains unclear.

Atlanta police Homicide Commander Lt. Christopher Butler said investigators are still working the crime scene and many questions remain about the child’s death.

This is a developing story, and Atlanta News First will provide updates as more information becomes available.