A 32-year-old Georgia mother, Kandice Grace, is facing murder charges for the death of her 7-year-old son, Mazi Simmons. Allegedly, Mazi lost his life after being strangled with his mother’s car window while she slept behind the wheel.
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According to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE, the incident occurred on April 6, 2025. At around 2025, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) responded to an Atlanta home after receiving a report of an unresponsive child.
Upon arrival, responding APD officers found 7-year-old Mazi with his head stuck on his mother’s back seat car window, the warrant said. The document added that Mazi was “seated beside two younger siblings,” and he was unconscious and not breathing.
Mazi was transported to a local hospital, where he was, unfortunately, pronounced dead shortly after. As reported by WXIA, citing the Fulton County Medical Examiner, Mazi’s death was ruled accidental by strangulation.
Police alleged that Kandice Grace, Mazi’s mother, was “passed out in the driver’s seat” while her son had his head stuck in the car window.
Witness Account
A witness told police that Grace and her children arrived at his home at around 10 p.m. on April 5. She left the children in her car because she didn’t want them to come inside the witness’s home, the warrant alleged. Then, Grace apparently left.
However, the very next morning, the witness walked out of his home. He found Grace’s vehicle in the parking lot, the document said. The witness allegedly saw, horrified, Mazi’s head “hanging out of the window,” and “began banging on the car to wake up Ms. Grace.”
Investigators responded to the scene and attempted to speak with Grace. She was found inside her neighbor’s home and was with her youngest child. However, according to the warrant, investigators were unable to speak with her, as she kept passing out while holding her child.
A search warrant was obtained, and authorities had Grace’s blood and urine tested. Allegedly, she tested positive for opioids and THC. As a result, Grace was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children. She is being held at the Fulton County Jail.
A GoFundMe was launched to help support the grieving family. The family revealed in the fundraiser that Kandice Grace previously lost her daughter, Jordice, in unknown circumstances.
“Mazi was truly one of a kind,” the fundraiser read. “Whether he was dancing, striking his signature peace sign, or just being his silly, playful self, he always found a way to make everyone around him feel joy. He loved life and he loved deeply.”