Jasmine Jenkins (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Law enforcement has arrested two women in connection with the murder of a 4-year-old child found dead during a Sunday welfare check in southwest Atlanta.
What we know:
Officers and firefighters forced their way into a home at 3507 Cardinal Dr SW around 7:20 p.m. Sunday after receiving a welfare check request, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Responding medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but 4-year-old Colby Cooks was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four-year-old Colby Cooks, pictured alongside his brother Cayden, died from blunt force trauma in a ruled homicide inside a southwest Atlanta townhome complex off Campbellton Road, leading to cruelty and concealment charges against a family acquainta
Investigators learned 32-year-old Jasmaine Smoak ran from the scene with three children before officers arrived. Police tracked her vehicle to Washington, Georgia, in Wilkes County, using license plate reader technology.
Jasmaine Smoak (Credit: Wilkes County Sheriff's Office)
The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office assisted in locating Smoak and taking her into custody without incident.
Authorities recovered all three children, including one who was taken to an area hospital to recover from visible injuries.
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Following autopsy results on Wednesday, Atlanta police upgraded charges against Smoak to murder, aggravated assault and first-degree cruelty to children, adding to initial charges of second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another.
On Thursday, the APD Fugitive Unit and the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office arrested wanted suspect Jasmine Jenkins in Wilkes County without incident on an outstanding warrant for murder and first-degree cruelty to children.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released the cause of death for the 4-year-old child or disclosed the relationship between the two suspects and the children involved.
Police have not indicated when Jenkins will be transferred from Wilkes County to Atlanta Police Public Safety Headquarters for processing.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Atlanta Police Department, who provided preliminary incident reports and official updates on arrests and charges, as well as the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office.