GA Mother Arrested After Son Died in Backseat While She was Under the Influence | Crime Alert 12PM 10.03.25

A 32-year-old woman from Georgia has been arrested in connection with the tragic death of her 7-year-old son, who reportedly died after becoming trapped in a car window

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm Nicoll Parton.
A thirty two year old woman from Georgia has been
arrested in connection with the tragic death of her seven
year old son. He reportedly died after becoming trapped in
the car window while his mother was allegedly under the
influence of drugs and passed out in the driver's seat.

(00:20):
Candace Grace was taken into custody earlier this week and
faces charges of second degree murder and second degree cruelty
to children in the death of her son, Mazzy Simmons.
According to a news release, the incident happened in front
of a home located on Scott Street. Southeast. Police responded
to reports of an unresponsive child found inside of the car.

(00:43):
This has detailed in a probable cause affidavid. Upon arrival,
first responders discovered the boy in the backseat of the car,
his head stuck outside the window. Trapped. He was quickly
transported to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, but he was pronounced
dead shortly after his rival. The Fulton County Medical Examiner
ruled the death as an accidental strangulation. Authorities also found

(01:06):
two other children unharmed inside the car along with their mother, Grace.
Details from the nine to one to one caller indicated
that the woman had visited the callers home the previous night,
leaving her three children in the car. The following morning,
the witness discovered the boy with his head hanging out
of the back seat window, while Grace was slumped over

(01:27):
in the driver's seat, unresponsive. Efforts to wake her were unsuccessful.
During her police interview, Grace reportedly lost consciousness several times
while holding her younger child, prompting investigators to secure a
warrant for drug testing. Toxicology reports revealed on August eighth,
indicating that Grace had substances including opioids and THHC in

(01:49):
her system at the time of the incident. Authorities concluded
that her drug use impaired her ability to care for
her children, leading to the tragic death of her son.
Grace's currently being held at the Fulton County Jail without bond,
according to jail records or Crime Injustice News. After this

(02:13):
a startling discovery from the West Palm Beach Police Department,
and now they're advising people to be cautious as we
approach the holiday season. On Wednesday, the West Palm Beach
Police Department reported that officers conducted a traffic stop that
resulted in the discovery of vibrantly colored fentanyl disguised as candy.

(02:34):
In this instance, the fentanyl was made to resemble a gumball,
commonly referred to as rainbow fentanyl. Lieutenant Joseph Herb, who
has spent more than twenty years in the narcotics division,
remarked that he had never encountered fentanyl disguised as gumballs
in his extensive career. I've seen narcotics for over twenty years,
he said, take a listen.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
We found obviously more almost like a chunk of fentanyl
that probably came off a kilo. We found small bags
of fentanyl that was probably ready for distribution inside different
containers for sale. We found marijuana, bagged marijuana. We found
liquid codeine. Said, I've worked narcotics almost twenty plus years,

(03:15):
and we have never seen anything like this. When they
brought it in, even I had no idea what it was.
We ended up cutting one of them open, which was
hollow like a gumball. We smashed it down, put it
into the testket and a tested positive for fentanyl.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Authorities believe that traffickers are deliberately crafting fentanyl and candy
like shapes to lure children and young adults, aiming to
increase addiction rates. This year alone, the police department has
confiscated over eight pounds of the fentanyl gumballs from the
streets of West Palm Beach, a quantity that could potentially
lead to thousands of overdoses as Halloween approaches. We encourage

(03:51):
everyone to take extra precautions, said the Chief of Police
of West Palm Beach. If you suspect that your child
may have encountered fentanyl in any do not touch it
and call nine to one one immediately. The police department
also urging all adults across the United States to thoroughly
inspect all candy retreats before allowing children to consume them.

(04:13):
Educate themselves on the signs of fentanyl overdose, seek assistance
for substance use disorders, and report any suspicious drug activities
to law enforcement. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcasting app.
With this crime Alert I'm Nico Part