Three people arrested over dog attack that saw grandfather and infant mauled to death
Three people have been taken into custody in Tennessee over a December 2025 incident in which a 50-year-old man and his three-month-old granddaughter died after being attacked by family dogs.
Officers responding to the Tullahoma residence found James Smith and his infant granddaughter dead, with the animals still attacking the child’s body, as reported by NBC affiliate WSMB.
Zaccahae Smith, Sylvia Smith and Tilesia Baugh were arrested in connection with the fatalities and face multiple felony charges. Zaccahae Smith was charged with second-degree murder, Sylvia Smith faces three counts of child abuse and neglect and Baugh was charged with two counts of child abuse and neglect and one count of aggravated child abuse and neglect.
Investigators are currently examining whether the dog attack caused the deaths or occurred after the victims had already died.
Residents said the household owned seven dogs, which neighbors said had previously targeted other animals in the area but had never shown aggression toward humans.
“[The mom was] screaming, ‘my baby,’ as [Tullahoma Animal Control] pulled up,” Rebecca Adams, a neighbor, told the outlet. “My heart just shattered. I’m just now coming to realize what happened, and it really happened. I’ve lived by these people forever, and now they aren’t even going to be my neighbors no more.”
Adams mentioned that the dogs had a history of chasing cats and other pets around the neighborhood.
“I’ve never seen them be aggressive towards people,” Adams said. “They’d run after cats. They’d run after dogs, animal things. I could see them be aggressive towards animals. Never did I think they would do that to the kids.”
Adams noted that people kept driving past the house to see the scene for themselves.
“Today has just been everybody driving by just to see the house,” she said. “I guess they’re needing proof, too, that this really did happen.”
Relatives launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover memorial costs and support the surviving household members.
“To make things even harder, the family home was taken away shortly after the tragedy,” the page states. “They lost not only two precious lives, but also their home, their belongings, and their sense of security — all within hours.”
The incident left a grandmother to care for six remaining children who “suddenly have no clothes, no beds, and nowhere to go,” according to the organizer.
Organizers also noted that the grandfather “did not have life insurance, leaving the family with the overwhelming burden of funeral expenses.”
As of Tuesday, the effort had raised $49,145 toward its $55,000 goal, through more than 1,000 donations.
