Middle GA family says 6-month-old recovering after alleged babysitter abuse

A Georgia family says their 6-month-old daughter is recovering after reportedly suffering fractured bones while in the care of a babysitter during a weekend in early February.

When Samantha Mullin, 25, pulled up to a Milledgeville house on February 9 to pick up her two youngest children, Jaxxon and Jenesis, from a babysitter, she said she immediately noticed something was off.

“Walking up to him, at first I thought my 1‑year‑old had purple eyeshadow on his face,” Mullin told The Telegraph. “Then I realized it was a black eye ... Then, when I saw my baby, Jenesis, she was crying uncontrollably in her car seat. She’s normally not a crier.”

Mullin said she found her daughter, who was four months old at the time, unusually inconsolable and with a limp left arm. When she took off the baby’s clothes at home, she said she saw bruises on her forehead, knee and vaginal area.

“I literally just started freaking out,” Mullin said.

The children were taken to a local pediatrician in Baldwin County and then transferred to a hospital in Macon for further evaluation, according to records provided by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested and charged Sara Ellen Smith, of Milledgeville, with first-degree cruelty to children after state and Baldwin County authorities assisted in an investigation following the incident, according to an April 17 news release.

“The investigation shows that Smith babysat a friend’s four-month-old child in February of 2026. While babysitting, Smith caused multiple injuries to the baby, including several broken bones,” the agency said.

Mullin said she texted Smith about the bruises. She said she received long messages back that never answered how her children were hurt.

Smith told authorities that Mullin’s 1-year-old son, Jaxxon, fell while in her care, according to police records. She also told law enforcement she often cared for the children while Mullin worked and that she kept them for most of January.

Mullin said Smith had watched her children overnight before and helped more than usual in January.

Smith — a woman Mullin said she has known since moving to Putnam County in 2022 and trusted “like family” — had watched her children “plenty of times,” including when she went to the hospital to give birth, Mullin said.

“This was somebody I definitely trusted, somebody I was close with, someone I had love for,” Mullin said of the babysitter. “But my focus is that Jenesis is here, she’s healing and she’s OK. I’m just grateful.”

Jenesis’ father, 26-year-old Robert Boswell, said he felt uneasy when he first heard the news. But now he’s glad that his daughter has healed faster than doctors expected.

“When I say she’s great, she’s healed. All her bones are healed,” Boswell said, explaining that Jenesis recovered in less than two weeks with the help of a cast. “She’s moving around, laughing, talking and being Jenesis again. That’s my baby girl.”

Both Boswell and Mullin, who have four children, said this is the first time something like this has happened, and it has undermined their trust in daycare services.

“It definitely impacted me a lot in many ways because I don’t have a big support system to help me watch my kids when I need to work,” Mullin said. “It’s a hard thing because I can’t afford not to work, but I also can’t trust people. I wish I could just be there with them every day myself.”

Mullin said her son’s hospital scans were normal but called it a “miracle” given the injuries she saw on his face.

Boswell said he has become more protective of his children and raised concerns that Smith was charged with abusing only one child, not the other.

“My boy deserves justice, too. He didn’t deserve that either,” Boswell said. “He’s very scared. Following the incident, he did not want to be around anyone but me or his mommy.”

On Feb. 23, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI assist with investigating Jenesis’ injuries. As of April 29, GBI Special Agent in Charge Mary Chandler said the investigation remains active.

Chandler said the 1-year-old boy had a minor injury that investigators do not believe was intentionally inflicted by Smith. She said the case instead centered on the infant who suffered substantial injuries.

“Our primary concern is to make sure the children are safe,” Chandler said.

Smith was booked at the Baldwin County Jail, but she is no longer in custody as of April 28, according to the sheriff’s office.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit for prosecution.

This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 10:45 AM.