DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) – Daphne Police arrested a mother at a local hotel Sunday, August 10, 2024 after they said she left her two children alone in the hotel room for two days. The youngest was a non-verbal, autistic child, just five years old. It was concerned hotel staff who called police.
Daphne Police were first called to the Comfort Suites on North Main St. Saturday evening by concerned employees. Those employees told officers two children, the five-year-old and 15-year-old brother had been left unattended all day. After speaking with them, police were eventually able to track down their mother, 33-year-old Hassanah Jabriah Smith of New Jersey and speak with her on the phone.
“Eventually, they were able to get the mom on the phone who I think first claimed to be at the store and then later said she was in Tennessee and then at some point Atlanta got mentioned,” said Daphne Police Chief, Brian Gulsby.
Officers contacted the Department of Human Resources (DHR) which police said decided to leave the children by themselves, thinking the mother was returning that night. Then, on Sunday staff at the hotel again called police after they said the autistic child ended up in the swimming pool…