Toddler’s Body Was Found Floating in Ga. River in June — Now Authorities Say Mom Put Him There

On June 29th, the Cobb County Fire Department was filming a PSA about water safety at a park outside Atlanta when they made a gruesome discovery. The body of a toddler was floating down the Chattahoochee river.

The boy’s exact age wasn’t known, but investigators believed that he was between 18 months and 3 years old. According to an arrest warrant obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, his body might have been in the river for five days before he was recovered.

Police searched for the identity of the boy, who did not match any missing persons reports. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released a composite sketch of the child to see if anyone could help identify him.

After receiving tips, authorities arrested 27-year-old Breyanla Cooper and charged her with a felony count of concealing the death of another person. PEOPLE confirms that she is being held at the Cobb County Jail without bond. She was booked on July 2.

For weeks, authorities had been unable to determine the relationship between Cooper and the toddler. During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the Cobb County Police finally confirmed that Cooper is the boy’s mother.

“The accused concealed the death of the victim by placing the victim in the Chattahoochee River in the National Recreation Area,” Cobb County Magistrate Judge Don Hicks said at the hearing, according to WLTX-TV.

Authorities say that more charges may be pending after the autopsy results are completed.

Cooper has not yet entered a plea, and court records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on her behalf.