ATLANTA — A 30-year-old Cobb County mother is under arrest and facing a felony murder charge after her five-year-old daughter's death yesterday.
She also faces an aggravated assault-strangulation charge.
Records show 30-year-old Shekina Akbar is in custody at Cobb County Jail and also facing a third charge of first-degree cruelty to a child. The incident occurred at the Cumberland Crossing Apartments in Marietta.
Cobb County Police confirmed on Monday they were conducting a child death investigation. According to the department, the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons Unit made the arrest Monday after an investigation into the death.
Officers originally responded around 9 a.m. to an unresponsive child, who was transported to Kennestone Hospital, where she died.
A neighbor, Phyllis Lee, told 11Alive on Tuesday that the girl did have a breathing tube in her neck, but said she never saw any indication she’d been beaten. She was shocked by the news.
“It’s confusing, it’s heartbreaking," she said.
"When I saw her she seemed like she was a pretty good mother," Lee said. "I’ve seen her apartment, and everything was neat and everything. And she’s telling me all the stuff that she wanted to do with her kids, and I’m like, I’m still in disbelief about it.”
Lee said she recently invited her new neighbor, Akbar, and Akbar’s daughter, to come along to church with her. They'd just moved to her apartment building from Alabama. She said Akbar’s toddler son was away visiting relatives. Lee said the mom and daughter seemed happy leaving the church on Saturday.
However, police said - just two days later - the mom allegedly attacked the child. Police are still investigating this case.
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