Alyssa Higginbotham

Name:
Higginbotham, Alyssa Marie

Date of Booking:
05/05/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA LESS THAN AN OUNCE – MISD

POSSESSION OF A SCHEDULE I CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

CRUELTY TO CHILDREN-DEPRIVATION OF NECESSARY SUSTENANCE – 1ST DEGREE – 2 counts

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on May 05, 2026]

On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at approximately 1:38 p.m., I was dispatched to a residence, [REDACTED], regarding a 1-year-old black male running around the apartment complex naked, and no parent was around him. The complainant also informed dispatch that the apartment door of [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was open. While on the way to the apartment, Investigator Stoner #64 informed me that she had spoken with the mother, Alyssa Higginbotham, who was on her way to Dalton, GA, but was turning around to come get the children.

Upon my arrival, I spoke with the complainant, [WITNESS #1], who lives in apartment [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. She stated that she noticed the 1-year-old boy running outside down the sidewalk, near the parking lot, naked. She was able to catch him, bring him back to her apartment, and put a diaper on him. I checked on the little boy, and he appeared to be fine, just had a cough like he was congested.

I went to apartment [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and confirmed the door was open and could hear music playing loudly from within. I yelled into the apartment multiple times to see if anyone else was there, but no one answered or came to the door. I went inside the residence to perform a safety sweep, making sure no one was inside or injured. I came to a bedroom with a hospital bed. I noticed what appeared to be another small child lying on the bed, possibly asleep.

I yelled a few times to make sure the child was okay, but she did not answer. I had to shake the hospital bed to wake the girl. I tried speaking with her, but she seemed out of it. She stood up out of bed, and I asked her how old she was, and she stated, “Russian German.” I asked her the same question, but she just repeated herself. I noticed her eyelids were droopy, and she seemed very slow and sluggish. I was able to get her to walk to the living room, and she sat down on the couch. I began asking her questions again, and this time she answered them. I also asked her where her mother was, but she did not know.

While speaking with [REDACTED BY AGENCY], the 9-year-old female, I could smell the odor of marijuana coming from within the apartment. I noticed on the kitchen table, in plain view, some marijuana residue sitting on the table. I also moved a pair of scissors and a large butcher knife off the table and counter, and placed them on top of the refrigerator. I also noticed several medication bottles sitting on the kitchen counter in plain view. Due to [REDACTED BY AGENCY] reactions, I suspected she might have overdosed on something and had EMS come out to check on her.

10 minutes later, the mother, Mrs. Alyssa Higginbotham, showed up. She told me that she told a neighbor, “to keep an eye on the kids,” while she ran to the store. She then stated the neighbor was [WITNESS #1]. She also stated that she was never going to Dalton, GA, but was just going to the store. I later spoke with Mr. [WITNESS #2], who informed me that Mrs. Higginbotham never came to him to watch the kids.

My supervisor arrived on the scene, and I explained the situation to him. Due to the odor of marijuana, the visual marijuana, and the 9-year-old possibly being under the influence of something, we had another supervisor type a search warrant for the apartment. While waiting on the search warrant, we had DFCS come out to the apartment.

Mrs. [REDACTED], an employee of DFCS, came out and began speaking with the mother and the 9-year-old. She told me she also thought [REDACTED BY AGENCY] might have taken something she wasn’t supposed to. Mrs. Higginbotham kept informing us that that is how [REDACTED BY AGENCY] is when she wakes up, and that she sleeps throughout the day.

At this time, the search warrant for the apartment had been signed, and we were preparing to enter to conduct the search. Mrs. Higginbotham had other plans. She was on her cell phone by the front door, and when she had a chance, she opened the apartment door, ran in, closed it shut, and locked it. Fearing she would destroy evidence, I used my department-issued baton and busted out the side window.

During this, she came back out, and two other officers were able to put her in handcuffs. After she was in handcuffs, I stood by with her while the other officers completed the search. There were some narcotics located inside the apartment, so please see the supplemental report for additional information.

The children were placed in DFCS’s custody. After the search was complete, Mrs. Higginbotham was escorted to my patrol car, after being searched by a female officer, and transported to the Floyd County jail without incident. The back seat of my patrol car was searched at the beginning of my tour of duty, and after she was released to the jail.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on May 05, 2026]

On May 5, 2026, I, PFC Roden, responded to [REDACTED] to assist PFC Bridges with a call involving a juvenile who had been left unattended. While on scene, probable cause was established to obtain and execute a search warrant for the residence. I remained on scene to secure the residence until the warrant was signed.

Shortly before the warrant was served, Ms. Alyssa Higginbotham, the homeowner, ran inside the residence and locked the door. Based on the suspicion that Ms. Higginbotham could be retrieving a weapon or attempting to destroy evidence, PFC Bridges broke an exterior window to gain entry.

At that time, I moved back to the front door and observed Ms. Higginbotham looking out. I made contact and attempted to gain control of her by her arm; however, she pulled away. I then assisted Ms. Higginbotham to the ground and placed her in handcuffs.

Once she was secured, officers conducted a search of the residence. During the search, a misdemeanor amount of marijuana, suspected butane hash oil, and two unmarked white pills were located. All evidence was collected and deposited into the temporary evidence room at the Rome Police Department. Photographs of the residence related to the search warrant were uploaded to Evidence.com.

[End of Narrative]