Police have filed murder and child cruelty charges, but authorities have not publicly released the boy’s medical cause of death.
MARIETTA, Ga. — A criminal investigation into the death of a 2-year-old Cobb County boy has led to murder and child cruelty charges against his father, while authorities have released only limited information about the child’s death and the medical findings behind the case.
Cobb County police arrested 39-year-old Lolo Anilus after detectives said their investigation uncovered evidence of negligence. Anilus faces charges of second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children and making false statements. The charges remain allegations, and the case has not been resolved in court.
The investigation began after officers were sent to the Legacy at West Cobb Apartments on Favor Road at about 8:36 p.m. Sept. 3. Police said they were responding to a report of an unresponsive 2-year-old boy. Officers found the child unresponsive, provided aid and transported him to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. He was later pronounced dead.
Police initially released few details about what investigators believed had happened before the emergency call. The department said detectives with its Major Crimes Unit responded and found “elements of negligence,” but its initial public account did not explain the basis for that finding. Investigators later obtained a warrant for Anilus.
Additional allegations contained in the arrest warrant have since provided more detail about the hours before the child was found. Local news reports citing the warrant said the boy had a fever, mouth pain and was refusing to eat. Investigators allege Anilus left the child alone for about six hours that afternoon and evening despite the child’s illness.
The warrant further alleges that the toddler was unable to meet basic needs without an adult present or obtain medical care during that period. Authorities have linked the alleged lack of supervision to the child’s death as part of the criminal case. Those assertions will remain subject to the court process, and they should not be treated as findings of guilt.
Investigators also allege that Anilus initially told authorities he had been sleeping at home with his son. According to the warrant, police said surveillance video and an interview with his daughter contradicted that account. Anilus was subsequently charged with making false statements in addition to the murder and child cruelty counts.
Despite the criminal charges, significant information has not been publicly released. Police have not identified the child by name. The Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office also declined to provide additional information about the death because the investigation was pending, according to local reporting. A specific medical cause and manner of death were not publicly detailed in the reports reviewed.
Anilus was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and was being held without bond as of the latest available reports. Local reporting also cited jail records showing a U.S. Department of Homeland Security detainer. Court records did not list an attorney for Anilus when those reports were published.
The case now rests on both the continuing police investigation and the evidence that may become part of future court proceedings. Authorities have not announced when additional medical findings or investigative details will be released, and police continue to describe the case as active.
Author note: Last updated September 11, 2026.