As the investigation into the death of a toddler whose body was pulled from the Chattahoochee River continues, authorities have released a sketch of the boy in the hopes of identifying him.
Cobb County police have arrested a woman in connection with the boy’s death but have not shared her relationship to the toddler.
Breyanla Cooper, 27, of Stone Mountain, was taken into custody late Thursday, more than 12 hours after Cobb firefighters spotted the boy’s body during a training exercise on the river in Vinings. Cooper faces a felony charge of concealing the death of another, jail records show.
Credit: Cobb County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Cobb County Sheriff's Office
The toddler’s remains were discovered about 10:30 a.m. near the Paces Mill boat ramp off Cobb Parkway, authorities said.
The Cobb County fire crew was “beginning training and filming a water safety video when they discovered the remains of the toddler,” Cobb police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk said Thursday.
The boy’s exact age is not known, but investigators believe he was likely between 18 months and 3 years old. His body may have been in the river for five days before the remains were discovered, according to an arrest warrant made public Friday.
“As of now, the relationship between Cooper and the toddler has not been confirmed,” Delk said Friday morning.
Cooper’s arrest was the result of several tips received from the public after police announced the grisly discovery, Delk said.
“That’s what led us to our suspect,” he said.
According to the arrest warrant, the child was placed in the water in the area of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area on June 26, sometime between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Cooper is accused of hindering investigators’ ability to determine if the death involved foul play.
Though police have not confirmed the relationship between Cooper and the boy, her warrant indicates it was a case of domestic violence. The child’s body was turned over to the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office as authorities work to determine the exact cause and manner of death.
Cooper remained held at the Cobb County jail on Friday afternoon without bond.
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