Arrest warrants allege the children lived with three adults in a two-bedroom apartment that lacked food and other basic supplies.
MARIETTA, Ga. — Three adults were arrested after police said they found 15 children living in troubling conditions inside a two-bedroom Marietta apartment, according to arrest warrants cited by local news reports.
Ashley Jackson, Derrick Jackson and Briana Reynolds each face charges of first- and second-degree cruelty to children and possession of marijuana. The three were booked Thursday into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to reports citing police and arrest records. The charges are allegations, and the available reporting did not establish that any of the defendants had been convicted.
The children ranged in age from 1 to 17, according to the warrants. Police said the 15 children and three adults — 18 people in all — were living in a two-bedroom apartment at the Laurel Hills Preserve apartment complex off Bells Ferry Road in Marietta.
Investigators alleged that conditions inside the apartment raised concerns about the children’s care. Officers reported finding nine beds for the 18 people living there. The warrants also alleged that the apartment had no food or toilet paper when officers examined the residence.
Authorities also documented what the warrants described as a mold-spotted blanket hanging in one of the bedrooms. Police further alleged that the children had been left without supervision for hours. The available reports did not provide a detailed account of the condition of each child or identify them, and their names are being withheld because they are minors.
The circumstances that led officers to the apartment were not detailed in the reports reviewed. Authorities also had not publicly provided a complete timeline explaining how long the children had been living under the conditions described in the warrants or how long investigators had been examining the household before the arrests.
All three adults were accused of child cruelty and marijuana possession. Derrick Jackson faces an additional charge of crossing the guard line. Police alleged that he concealed marijuana on his body when he entered the county correctional facility after his arrest.
The initial reports did not provide details about the relationships among all 18 people in the apartment. They also did not specify whether any of the children required hospitalization or other emergency medical treatment. No additional information about the children’s current placement was included in the reports reviewed.
The case remains at the allegation stage. Arrest warrants describe accusations used to support law enforcement action and do not establish guilt. Additional information about court proceedings, the children’s welfare and the evidence underlying the charges had not been publicly detailed in the reporting reviewed.
Author note: Last updated September 30, 2026.