Cobb mother indicted on murder charges in 5-year-old’s strangulation

A grand jury has indicted a mother accused of killing her 5-year-old daughter, according to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

Shekinah Ayesha Akbar was indicted on five charges, including murder, aggravated assault, two counts of sexual battery and first-degree cruelty to children, her indictment states. Akbar, 31, was arrested Feb. 10, 2020, after the girl was found unresponsive in the family’s apartment in the Cumberland Crossing complex off Hidden Glen Drive, according to police.

The child, whose name was not released, had visible injuries and bruising all over her body, as well as injuries on her neck consistent with strangulation, according to Akbar’s arrest warrant. The girl was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.