Community Corner

Police: Smyrna Toddler Not Fed

The mother was arrested Thursday on a charge of cruelty to children in the first degree.

A 15-month-old child was so malnourished that the toddler's weight "was not even on the chart," Smyrna police said.

The child was taken to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta on June 10, according to a Cobb County arrest warrant for the child's mother, identified in the document as Keiara Banks of Smyrna.

"After speaking with the medical staff and obtaining the victim's medical records, it was determined that the child is not being fed by the mother," according to the warrant. "The child is underweight (not even on the chart), lethargic, has developmental delays, and a flat head."

Without medical assistance, the toddler gained 1½ pounds during a 3-day stay in the hospital.

Banks was arrested Thursday on a charge of cruelty to children in the first degree. She remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center in lieu of $25,000 bond.


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