Daphne Police have arrested a New Jersey mother after officers say she left her two children, including a five-year-old non-verbal, autistic boy, alone in a hotel room for two days. The arrest came Sunday, August 10, 2024, after concerned staff at the Comfort Suites on North Main Street called authorities for the second time in as many days.
Police were first alerted Saturday evening when employees reported that the children, aged five and 15, had been left unattended all day. Officers spoke with the children and then managed to reach their mother, 33-year-old Hassanah Jabriah Smith, by 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.
The Department of Human Resources (DHR) was contacted and, believing Smith would return that night, decided to leave the children in the room. The following day, hotel staff called the police again after the autistic child ended up in the swimming pool. This time, officers remained at the scene.
They discovered that the children had no food or drinks in the room. “The officers bought food for them both on Saturday and on Sunday, and then finally, mom shows up about four o’clock or so Sunday afternoon,” Gulsby said.
Smith was taken into custody and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, each carrying a $1,000 bond. Police said their investigation suggested this was not the first time the children had been left alone for extended periods.
“They told the officers and the detective that came out that the boys being alone for hours or a day at a time was the pattern since they moved into that hotel,” Gulsby noted. Records show Smith checked into the Comfort Suites with her children and boyfriend on July 27, 2025.
Her case will be heard in Daphne Municipal Court, where each charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail. DHR has released the children into the custody of Smith’s boyfriend, according to police told Fox10TV.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and that they will review whether further charges are warranted. The incident has raised concerns about repeated neglect and the vulnerabilities of children with special needs in such situations.