Valdosta, Georgia– VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — A 2-year-old boy in south Georgia was attacked by two Rottweiler dogs and died at an unlicensed day care center while the owner slept, according to police.
Stacey Wheeler Cobb, the 48-year-old owner who was babysitting the children at her home in Valdosta, 228 miles (367 km) south of Atlanta, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children, according to jail records.
Cobb left the child unattended for more than two hours on Saturday, according to the Valdosta Police Department. They believe he went into the home’s backyard and opened the kennel with both Rottweilers, “beating my child to death,” the mother wrote on the GoFundMe site, describing the camera footage. When police arrived around 3:45 p.m., the child was dead.
The 2-year-old was the only child at Cobb’s daycare, even though there usually are 10 children, according to police. Cobb was transported to the Lowndes County Jail. Jail records did not indicate whether Cobb had an attorney who could speak on her behalf, and officials could not confirm whether she had an attorney.
A GoFundMe set up by the boy’s mother, Adrianna Jones, identified the boy as Kaymer Jones. The single mother said she knew something was wrong because Cobb usually checks in throughout the day, but she didn’t respond to Jones for three hours. Jones said her “gut” told her to leave work early.
“This was a heartbreaking, devastating and shocking scene that I would not wish on anyone,” Jones wrote.
The Rottweiler and a third dog at the home were taken in by Lowndes County Animal Control.
The Valdosta Police Department said in an online post that the investigation is ongoing and they expect more charges.
“This is a horrific and tragic event that should never have happened, but due to negligence on the part of this perpetrator, a mother tragically lost her child,” Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said.