Jessica Smith, the mother of the 2-year-old girl found dead at an Oregon coastal resort last week, was arrested Sunday after police said she hid from them all weekend in the woods off U.S. 26.
Smith, 40, of Goldendale, Washington, and her two daughters reportedly checked into the Surfsand Resort in
Cannon Beach on Wednesday, according to OregonLive.com. On Friday morning, a housekeeper entered the third-story room and found the lifeless body of 2-year-old Isabella and Smith's critically injured 13-year-old daughter Alana.
Smith was nowhere to be found.
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Police launched a manhunt for the mother as Alana was rushed to OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland with life-threatening cut wounds, OregonLive.com reported. She underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition as of Monday morning.
Medical examiners determined that the toddler was murdered, but have not yet released a cause of death. Local reports claim there were no visible injuries on her body when she was discovered.
Officials closed in on Smith Sunday after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted her gold 2007 Suburban on a road about 15 miles east of Cannon Beach. Investigators said she likely hid in the woods off U.S. 26 after fleeing the hotel resort.
She now faces aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder charges. An arraignment is scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Records show that Greg Smith, the girls' father, filed for divorce from Jessica Smith in June. A judge then ordered her to undergo a mental evaluation after she failed to show up for a June 23 hearing and her estranged husband complained about receiving erratic messages.
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