A New Jersey woman has been arrested on charges of child endangerment. The mother allegedly left her two young children alone in a Daphne, Alabama, hotel room for an extended period. This included her 5-year-old boy with nonverbal Autism.
Reportedly, the children were left without food or supervision for hours. This has sparked serious concerns for their safety and welfare.
Once the hotel employees realised that the mother was gone for a long time, they became increasingly alarmed. Staff told police they had noticed the children, one an elementary-aged girl and the other a boy with severe Autism, were alone in the room for hours. Sometimes it was for an entire day. Staff had confirmed that this has been happening regularly. The family checked into the hotel on July 27 with the mother’s boyfriend.
On the weekend of the incident, staff realised that the kids had been left alone and unsupervised since early Saturday, and then they finally called authorities.
Daphne Police Chief Brian Gulsby said officers were then dispatched to check on the situation.
At first, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) was contacted. It was decided not to immediately remove the children from the hotel as officials wanted to wait and confirm if the mother would return soon.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of alleged child neglect.
Hassanah Smith, 33, has been arrested in Alabama, facing two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly leaving her two sons, including a 5-year-old with autism, alone at a hotel for… pic.twitter.com/xSSMourUjb
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) August 13, 2025
However, later the officers found the 5-year-old boy alone in the hotel’s swimming pool. He was completely alone and unsupervised.
Police had determined the children had not eaten or had anything to drink for an extended period. Officers then provided food and remained with them until their mother returned.
The mother has been identified as 33-year-old Hassanah Jabria Smith. She allegedly gave officers several conflicting accounts of her whereabouts.
Hassanah Jabriah Smith, 33, was arrested on Sunday after leaving her 15-year-old son and 5-year-old non-verbal, autistic child alone in a hotel room for two days, according to authorities.
— KGNS+ News (@KGNSnews) August 12, 2025
At first, she claimed she had just stepped out to get to a nearby store. She later changed her story and said she was in Tennessee, and then Atlanta, before finally returning to the hotel around 4 p.m. on Sunday, as reported by Law & Crime.
Smith was arrested and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Each misdemeanor count carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Hotel staff had confirmed that this was not a one-time occurrence. They reported that Smith had regularly left her children alone for hours. She sometimes went overnight while staying in the hotel and left her kids behind.
Police said these repeated incidents will be added to the ongoing investigation.
The children have temporarily been placed in the custody of Smith’s boyfriend. Authorities have confirmed this, saying that the younger child with autism needs constant care and supervision.
The case has also prompted questions about how child welfare agencies respond in situations involving repeated neglect.
Smith will remain in custody. The case will move forward in Baldwin County court. Prosecutors are likely to review hotel security footage, staff testimony, and police body camera recordings. These are necessary to determine whether additional charges are warranted.
The incident has sparked public outrage online. Many users are calling for stronger protections for vulnerable children and harsher penalties for repeated neglect.
