Parents charged in infant's smothering death, deputies say
CANTON, Ga. - The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said the mother and father of a 6-week-old were high when the mother rolled over onto the infant, suffocating the child.
The mother, 23-year-old Railey Breann Smelley, faces drug possession charges in addition to second-degree murder and cruelty to children.
The father, 22-year-old Conor Alberto Catalan, also faces drug possession charges.
The sheriff's office announced the arrests of the two suspects five months after deputies found the child dead on Oct. 30, 2021, at an apartment complex in Canton.
Railey Smelley
Investigators determined Smelley rolled over on the infant, who was sleeping in the bed and smothered the child.
An autopsy indicated the child died of accidental asphyxiation.
Conor Catalan
Deputies said the two were under the influence of drugs during the incident.
Both parents turned themselves in on Tuesday at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center. Smelley is held without bond. Catalan was released from custody Tuesday evening on a $9,800 bond.