Table of Contents
- The Tragic Incident
- What Is an Unlicensed Day Care?
- Charges and Investigation
- A Mother’s Heartbreak
- Day Care Safety by the Numbers
- How to Verify a Licensed Day Care
- Sources
The Tragic Incident
In a horrifying case that has shaken Valdosta, Georgia, a 2-year-old boy was fatally mauled by two Rottweilers at an unlicensed day care center while the facility’s owner reportedly slept nearby.
According to the Valdosta Police Department, the boy—later identified by his mother as Kaimir Jones—was left unattended for over two hours on Saturday, October 4, 2025. During that time, he wandered into the backyard of the home-based facility and opened a kennel housing the dogs, who then attacked him.
Emergency responders arrived around 3:45 p.m. but were unable to save him. Kaimir was pronounced dead at the scene.
What Is an Unlicensed Day Care?
An unlicensed day care operates without state oversight, meaning it bypasses mandatory safety inspections, staff background checks, child-to-caregiver ratios, and emergency protocols. In Georgia, providers caring for more than six children must be licensed—but police say Stacy Wheeler Cobb, 48, regularly watched up to 10 children at her home.
This lack of regulation creates dangerous blind spots for families who may assume their child is in a safe, monitored environment.
Charges and Investigation
Cobb has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children. She is being held at Lowndes County Jail without bond.
Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan called the incident “a horrible and tragic event that should have never occurred,” adding, “because of negligence on this offender’s behalf, a mother has tragically lost a child.”
Animal control seized the two Rottweilers involved in the attack, along with a third dog not implicated in the incident.
A Mother’s Heartbreak
Adrianna Jones, Kaimir’s mother and a single parent, discovered the tragedy after growing concerned when she hadn’t heard from Cobb for three hours. She left work early and arrived to find police and emergency vehicles surrounding the home.
“I found my baby like this,” Jones wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral expenses. “This was a heartbreaking, devastating and traumatizing scene that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
Day Care Safety by the Numbers
| Fact | Statistic |
|---|---|
| States requiring day care licensing for 3+ children | 48 out of 50 |
| Georgia’s legal limit without a license | 6 children |
| Children reportedly cared for by Cobb | Up to 10 daily |
| % of U.S. parents who verify licensing status | ~52% (National Child Care Survey, 2023) |
How to Verify a Licensed Day Care
Parents can take simple steps to protect their children:
- Ask to see the facility’s state-issued license
- Search the provider’s name in your state’s child care licensing database (e.g., Georgia DECAL)
- Check for past violations or complaints
- Visit unannounced during operating hours
“Licensing isn’t just paperwork—it’s a lifeline,” said child safety advocate Maria Chen. “It ensures basic safeguards are in place when you can’t be there.”
