A Tennessee mom is facing a child abuse charge after deputies said she put her baby in a backyard freezer on someone else's property.

According to WJHL-TV, Brittany C. Smith, 19, of Johnson City, was arrested Jan. 3 after a resident saw her with the baby near the outdoor freezer, authorities said. Witnesses said they found Smith alone in a crawlspace and the 8-month-old in the freezer, which had a closed lid and "about an inch of water in the bottom," the news station reported.

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The condition of the baby, who was hospitalized, was not immediately known, WJHL reported.

Smith was charged with child abuse and neglect, burglary and a probation violation, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)