Douglasville mom's bond revoked after kids forced to eat roaches

Bond revoked for mother in cruelty case

A Douglasville mother faces new child cruelty charges after six children were allegedly left alone for 12 hours in a home without food.

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - A Douglasville woman is behind bars after a child cruelty investigation revealed six children were allegedly left in squalor to eat ants and cockroaches while she was out on bond for a previous stabbing involving her teenage son.

Previous violence alleged at home

What we know:

Sherry Dianne Magby, 37, is being held in the Douglas County Jail without bond after a judge revoked her previous release. Witnesses reported seeing an ambulance leave her home without lights or sirens recently as part of a new investigation. Douglasville Police say the case involves six children, the oldest being 10 years old, who were allegedly left alone for at least 12 hours. According to the 10-year-old child, the group was forced to eat ants and cockroaches to survive.

Authorities have not released the current condition of the child taken by ambulance or confirmed if that child has died. The Douglas County Coroner has not responded to requests for information, and police say the case remains an open investigation. It is also unclear if Magby’s defense attorney will file a new motion regarding her revoked bond.

Records reveal 2023 stabbing allegations

The backstory:

Court documents consisting of 66 pages detail a 2023 case against Magby involving charges of aggravated assault family violence , aggravated battery family violence , and first-degree cruelty to children. In the evening on July 17, 2023, Magby allegedly assaulted her then 15-year-old son with a pocketknife. Authorities, according to the warrant,  allege she cut the teen on his back and threw the knife at him as he ran down the porch stairs to escape the home.

It would appear the child in the 2023 incident was not involved in the most recent case.

Mom in child cruelty case has criminal history

Sherry Magby is in jail without bond after a child cruelty arrest in Douglasville. Investigation reveals she was already out on bond for allegedly stabbing her son with a pocketknife in 2023, with that trial set to begin next month.

Children left in squalor

What we know:

Police say six children, the oldest being 10 years old, were left alone at the home for at least 12 hours. The 10-year-old told investigators the children had to eat ants and cockroaches to survive while left in the squalid conditions. Magby was out on a $10,000 bond for her previous charges when this latest incident occurred. As a condition of that bond, she was required to complete parenting classes.

What we don't know:

Douglasville police have not released the current condition of a baby that witnesses saw being removed from the home by an ambulance with no lights or sirens. The Douglas County Coroner has not responded to requests for information, and police say the case remains an open investigation.

Bond revoked after new arrests

What's next:

The Douglas County District Attorney successfully asked for Magby's bond to be revoked. Prosecutors cited the new child cruelty charges and a shoplifting arrest from last year as violations of her release. While a condition of her original bond was the completion of parenting classes, she will now remain in custody while awaiting a May trial.