Left: James Hayes. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office). Center: Kaziah Ponder (Facebook/Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church). Right: Kennedi Ponder (FCSO).
A Georgia couple is facing criminal charges following the death of a 1-month-old girl who was left unfastened in a car seat, leading to probable positional asphyxia, police say. The child’s twin brother was also hospitalized with fractured bones, breathing problems and THC in his system.
James Hayes, 32, and Kennedi Ponder, 31, are both facing charges in Atlanta of first-degree child cruelty involving the deprivation of necessary sustenance and second-degree child cruelty.
Hayes is also facing a charge of second-degree murder, with police saying he left the victim, Kaziah Ponder, in the car seat while taking a nap on a couch.
An arrest warrant obtained by local NBC affiliate WXIA says the baby girl suffocated and police were called to the home on May 2 to find her “unresponsive.”
“On Saturday, May 2, 2026, at approximately 7:49 am, officers responded to 1668 Mary George Ave SW regarding a person-down call,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a press release Monday. “Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive infant. Grady EMS arrived on scene and transported the child to Hughes Spaulding Children’s Hospital, where, despite lifesaving efforts, she was pronounced deceased.”
Kaziah’s twin brother, Kaiden Ponder, was also taken to the hospital in late May for a breathing issue, WXIA reports. The child had several bone fractures, his urine tested positive for THC, and he was malnourished with electrolyte abnormalities, according to police.
Authorities in Fulton County launched an investigation that eventually led to Hayes and Ponder’s arrests on Aug. 6.
“The Homicide Unit was notified and responded to the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the Atlanta police release says. “The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office was notified and responded to the hospital, where they took possession of the decedent’s body.”
Both Hayes and Ponder were taken into custody without incident by APD homicide detectives. Police have not provided details about their relationship to Kaziah and Kaiden. A relative said on Facebook that Ponder was the mother.
“There are no words deep enough for this kind of pain,” the relative said. “Our hearts are completely shattered. We are grieving a loss so profound that it has shaken our entire family to the core. A piece of us is missing, and the silence left behind is unbearable.”
Hayes and Ponder are due in court on Aug. 31 for their preliminary hearings.
The post 1-month-old suffocates after being left unfastened in car seat, twin brother is then found with fractured bones, breathing problems and THC in his system: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
