Cause of death revealed for 4-year-old found dead in SW Atlanta
Atlanta police are investigating the death of a child on Cardinal Drive on October 26, 2026. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - A 4-year-old boy found dead in a southwest Atlanta townhome Sunday night died from blunt force trauma, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office.
What we know:
The medical examiner confirmed on Wednesday that 4-year-old Colby Cooks died from blunt force trauma.
Authorities arrested 32-year-old Jasmaine Smoak in Wilkes County overnight Sunday in connection with the boy's death.
Jasmaine Smoak (Credit: Wilkes County Sheriff's Office)
She faces charges of second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of Cooks.
Police said Smoak is a friend of the victim's mother and is not directly related to the child.
She had three children with her when officers apprehended her in Wilkes County.
One of those children had visible injuries and went to a hospital near Wilkes County for medical treatment.
Smoak is expected to be transferred to Fulton County on Wednesday.
Emergency responders originally went to the Aviary Park Townhomes complex on Cardinal Drive near Barge Road and Campbellton Road around 7:20 p.m. Sunday for a welfare check.
ORIGINAL STORY: Mom's friend arrested after 4-year-old found dead in SW Atlanta
Officers entered the home based on information from the check and found Cooks dead inside.
What we don't know:
Police have not disclosed the nature or extent of the surviving child's injuries or how those injuries occurred.
Officials have not released the medical conditions of the other two children found in the car.
Investigators have not detailed where the victim's mother was when Smoak allegedly left the home, or what specifically prompted the initial welfare check on Sunday evening.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Atlanta Police Department and the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office.