An anonymous tip recently led police to an apartment in the eastern suburbs of Atlanta, where a 7-year-old girl’s body was found decaying. Authorities have identified the victim as Alivia Hobbs-Jordan. The apartment had been vacated for several months, but a man had found the door wide open and noticed a terrible odor. When he saw an arm hanging out of the closet door he called police, according to People. "She looked like a mummy," the man said.
Authorities allege that the mother, Alondra Hobbs, abandoned her daughter and left her in the closet sometime between February 28 and June 25. The Dekalb County Police Department confirmed that Hobbs was arrested on June 29 and charged with felony murder, a Facebook post showed.
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An anonymous tip led police to the apartment in the eastern suburbs of Atlanta.
A police report shows that an anonymous individual called from a now-disconnected phone number on June 25 to report a dead child in a closet at the apartment on Misty Waters Drive in Decatur, People reported.
A neighbor also reportedly told police several months had passed since she had seen the tenant, per ABC 7.
Though authorities have confirmed the 7-year-old was left in the closet for several months prior to the discovery of her body, police have not confirmed the exact cause of her death.
Authorities believe the mother left the girl in the closet several months ago.
Court records showed that police believe Hobbs did not intend to return to her daughter and had abandoned her, according to People. Police officers reportedly located the girl's body in the closet and found “what appeared to be a full head of hair and decayed flesh that was in the form of an arm and leg” as well as mail with Alondra Hobbs name on it, the news outlet reported.
Family members who knew the mother were shocked and horrified at her alleged actions. Latrience Robinson, her aunt, was among them.
"I just didn’t see that in her. We all have issues, but I didn’t think she would do something to her kids,” she said, according to Fox 5.
The mother has been arrested, according to a police statement.
The Dekalb County Police Department released a statement on Facebook confirming that Alondra Hobbs was arrested June 29. She was charged with cruelty in the second degree and felony murder, according to the post.
The mother is reportedly at a hospital and was expected be taken back into police custody upon being discharged from the hospital, per People. It was unclear if Hobbs had retained a lawyer.
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The grandmother and other family members are fundraising for a funeral.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by Tammy Blassingame, who identified herself as the child's grandmother, to help with funeral costs. So far more than $5,000 has been raised of the $7,500 goal.
“I am lost for words. I’m sorry she took you away from us," Blassingame wrote on the page. “You had a wonderful future ahead of you. We will do everything in our power to get you justice. We are forever saying your name.”
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
