Authorities in Valdosta, Georgia, have charged a 48-year-old babysitter with murder after two Rottweilers fatally mauled a toddler she was supposed to be caring for. The horrific incident occurred on Friday, October 4, at an unlicensed daycare operated out of the suspect’s home on the 3800 block of Pecan Drive.
Police identified the babysitter as Stacy Wheeler Cobb, who now faces charges of second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children in connection with the death of 2-year-old Kaimir Jones. According to the Valdosta Police Department, Cobb allegedly left the boy unattended for more than two hours while she took a nap, during which time the child wandered into the backyard and was attacked by the dogs.
When officers, firefighters, and South Georgia Medical Services arrived, they found the toddler deceased in the yard. Investigators said Kaimir had somehow managed to open a kennel holding two large Rottweilers, which then mauled him to death. Cobb, who was running an unlicensed daycare at the time, was arrested at the scene and taken to the Lowndes County Jail. Animal control officers seized the two Rottweilers involved in the attack, along with a third dog found inside the home.
Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan described the event as “a horrible and tragic incident that should have never occurred.” She added, “Because of negligence on this offender’s behalf, a mother has tragically lost a child.” Officials confirmed that Cobb’s daycare was not registered with the state and that the child’s mother was unaware of the presence of the dogs or the facility’s unlicensed status.
Kaimir’s mother, Adrianna Jones, said in an online fundraiser that she had trusted Cobb’s daycare because it came “highly recommended.” She described the devastation of discovering her son’s death after growing concerned when Cobb failed to respond to her messages for hours. “This was a heartbreaking, devastating and traumatizing scene that I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Jones wrote. “I found my baby like this.”
The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for stricter oversight of unlicensed childcare providers and better safety protocols for homes with large dog breeds. According to DogsBite.org, a nonprofit tracking fatal dog attacks, 63 people died from dog bites in the United States in 2023, with children accounting for nearly a quarter of those deaths. The investigation into the fatal mauling of Kaimir Jones remains ongoing.