A 1-year-old died after a Georgia woman left the baby and five other children alone for half a day, while the family also reportedly lived in unsanitary conditions.
Police confirmed that Sherry Diane Magby has been charged with six counts of cruelty to children.
Officers from the Douglasville Police Department responded to a home on March 28, where they found children ages 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, all under the supervision of a 10-year-old, according to arrest warrants viewed by Law & Crime.
“Upon entering the residence, officers immediately detected a strong, foul odor consistent with unsanitary living conditions,” cops wrote in their warrants. “The residence was further observed to be in a state of significant disorder, with every room in disarray.”
The 10-year-old spoke to police officers and said there was not enough food in the home, adding that he saw the 1-year-old eating roaches and ants “due to the lack of proper nourishment.”
Magby, 37, also allegedly left the kids alone for about 12 hours, according to the affidavit. It is not currently clear how Magby knows the children.
The Douglas County Coroner’s Office confirmed to the Douglas County Sentinel that the 1-year-old died after the home was visited. However, the baby’s cause and manner of death has yet to be released.
Magby could possibly face more charges once the baby’s cause of death is determined.
She is currently in custody at Douglas County Jail without bond. It is not currently clear if she has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest.
The Douglasville Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing.
Two parents in Maryland have been arrested after they let their kids starve, leading to the death of one of their children from malnourishment. The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office announced in a statement that Bernice Byrd and Gerald Byrd pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse resulting in death and first-degree child abuse in connection […]
Following Magby’s arrest, several neighbors admitted they were left in shock over the situation.
“It breaks my heart because if I knew that they [weren’t] getting food I would have fed them,” the neighbor told WSB. “It’s very sad. Very sad. It’s sad. It’s even hard to talk about.”
Community Outreach employee Ken Howell added that the organization would have been happy to help the family in need. “All they had to do was come down here. We could have helped them get food,” Howell told the outlet.
He added that he was shocked “because this whole neighborhood knows what this is all about.” According to the outlet, Howell’s community outreach center is located close to the home and works to uplift those in the neighborhood.
