Hayley Collins

Name:
Collins, Hayley Garielle

Date of Booking:
08/26/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Battery- Family Violence (1st offense) MISD

Cruelty to Children 1st Degree

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.]

On August 25, 2026, at approximately 1942 hours, I, Officer Haven, was dispatched to [REDACTED] in reference to a possible domestic disturbance.

Upon my arrival, Cpl. Pyper was already on scene and was having the complainant complete a written witness statement. I approached the complainant, Mrs. [WITNESS #1], and asked her what had occurred. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated that she had dropped off her granddaughter, the listed juvenile victim, with the child’s mother, Mrs. Hayley Collins, earlier that day and that the child appeared fine at that time. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated that the juvenile had left her cell phone at her residence, so she brought it to her. Upon arriving, she observed that the juvenile had a black eye.

Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated that she asked the juvenile what had happened, and the juvenile began stuttering and stated that she had fallen. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated that the juvenile repeatedly glanced toward her mother and appeared fearful. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated that she moved the juvenile out of Mrs. Collins’ sight and again asked what had happened. According to Mrs. [WITNESS #1], the juvenile disclosed that her mother had been hitting her in the face and had struck her with a belt after they arrived home. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated that she then began yelling at Mrs. Collins, telling her that if she wanted to hit someone, she should hit an adult rather than a child. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] then continued completing her written statement.

I next made contact with Mrs. Collins. The juvenile victim was standing beside Mrs. Collins and was crying. As I approached, the juvenile ran toward the end of the driveway. I asked Mrs. Collins what had happened. Mrs. Collins stated that the juvenile had been with her grandmother all day and that after being dropped off, she had been outside playing with her sister. Mrs. Collins stated that the juvenile later came inside with a black eye and told her that she had struck it on something outside.

Mrs. Collins stated that Mrs. [WITNESS #1] arrived shortly afterward, pulled the juvenile away from her, and began yelling and getting in her face. Mrs. Collins stated that Mrs. [WITNESS #1] accused her of hitting the child. Mrs. Collins denied striking her children and stated that Mrs. [WITNESS #1] had a history of making similar accusations. I asked Mrs. Collins why Mrs. [WITNESS #1] was claiming that the juvenile stated Mrs. Collins had hit her. Mrs. Collins replied that the juvenile told her she had never made that statement. I obtained Mrs. Collins’ information and asked if I could speak with the juvenile privately. Mrs. Collins consented.

I then spoke with the listed juvenile victim. I introduced myself and asked her what was going on. The juvenile was visibly upset, and her left eye appeared swollen. She wiped tears from her eyes, and I reassured her that everything was okay and asked her to tell me what had happened. The juvenile initially stated that she did not know. I informed her that her grandmother alleged that her mother had struck her and asked whether that was true. The juvenile again stated that she did not know. When asked directly whether her mother had caused the black eye, she stated that she did not know what to say and repeatedly looked toward Mrs. Collins.

I advised the juvenile to tell the truth. She continued looking between Mrs. Collins and Mrs. [WITNESS #1] and stated that she did not want to discuss the matter where she was standing. I asked whether she would feel more comfortable speaking near my patrol vehicle, and she agreed. We walked to my patrol vehicle, and I positioned myself between the juvenile and the other parties.

I again asked the juvenile what had happened. She stated that she wanted to be completely honest because she did not want to get into trouble. She said that after being dropped off by her grandmother, she was in the vehicle with Mrs. Collins when Mrs. Collins told her, “Your bad-word A is grass when we get home.” The juvenile stated that once they arrived home, Mrs. Collins “whooped” her.

I asked why she had been disciplined. The juvenile stated that while riding with Mrs. [WITNESS #1] to a custody exchange, Mrs. [WITNESS #1] asked where she lived. The juvenile stated that she told Mrs. [WITNESS #1] the road where she lived and pointed out her residence as they drove by so her grandmother would know where it was located.

I asked how she had been “whooped.” The juvenile stated that Mrs. Collins struck her multiple times on the buttocks and legs with a belt. She showed me red marks on her legs that appeared consistent with being struck by a belt. The juvenile stated that she moved away from Mrs. Collins to speak because she did not want Mrs. Collins to hear what she was saying.

I asked whether Mrs. Collins had slapped her in the face. The juvenile stated that Mrs. Collins slapped her in the face multiple times, causing the injury to her cheek. She stated that Mrs. Collins became angry because she covered her face with her hands and kept moving her head. The juvenile stated that Mrs. Collins then struck her when she was not looking. She further stated that she did not understand why she was punished, as all she had done was tell Mrs. [WITNESS #1] where she lived. According to the juvenile, she was struck approximately ten times on her buttocks and legs.

Based on the juvenile’s statements and observed injuries, I advised Cpl. Pyper of my findings and placed Mrs. Collins under arrest for Cruelty to Children in the First Degree and Battery under the Family Violence Act. Mrs. Collins was handcuffed behind her back, checked for proper fit, and double-locked. I searched her for weapons and contraband, and none were found. I searched the rear compartment of my patrol vehicle prior to transport and found no weapons or contraband. Mrs. Collins was then placed in the rear of my patrol vehicle.

Mrs. Collins asked what would happen to her children. I advised her that I would be contacting DFCS and that we would proceed from there. Mrs. Collins stated that her other children would be placed in the care of her boyfriend, Mr. [REDACTED], for the time being. She stated that one child was inside the residence and another was at her mother’s house.

I requested that dispatch have the on-call DFCS worker contact me. I subsequently spoke with [REDACTED] from DFCS, who advised she would send a caseworker to the scene. Due to the extended wait time, Officer Jacobs transported Mrs. Collins to the Walker County Jail. She was turned over to jail staff without incident.

While waiting for DFCS to arrive, the juvenile’s father, Mr. [REDACTED], arrived on scene. I briefed him on the incident. While speaking with him, the juvenile stated that Mrs. Collins had begun hitting her while they were in the vehicle earlier that day. The juvenile then showed Mr. [REDACTED] her sock, which contained a bloodstain. I observed a small amount of dried blood on her ankle above the sock. The juvenile stated that the blood was from a nosebleed she had suffered earlier. The juvenile then ran to Mrs. Collins’ vehicle and returned with a shirt and pair of shorts covered in blood. Mrs. [WITNESS #1] stated, “You didn’t tell me that part,” to which the juvenile replied, “Yeah, because she wouldn’t let me show you the clothes.”

I asked the juvenile whether the incident had occurred that day, and she stated that it had. The juvenile further stated that Mrs. Collins repeatedly told her that if she failed to tell her something, she was going to hit her in the face. The juvenile stated that Mrs. Collins struck her multiple times in the face with the back of her hand, causing the black eye and bloody nose.

I collected the clothing as evidence and photographed all visible injuries sustained by the juvenile. I also requested that Mr. [REDACTED] bring the juvenile to the police department the following day so any additional injuries could be documented. DFCS Case Manager [REDACTED] arrived on scene and began speaking with the involved parties. Mr. [REDACTED] was advised of available services and the Temporary Protective Order (TPO) process. The clothing was secured in Evidence Locker #5.

[End of Narrative]