'She Had the Biggest Heart': Ohio Mother and Her Partner Arrested After 2-Year-Old Girl Was Reportedly Suffocated

A small Ohio community is reeling after a 2-year-old girl was found dead, reportedly from suffocation, leading to the immediate arrest of the child's mother and her partner, an open investigation, many questions, and a few answers.

On July 1, 2025, authorities in Adams County, Ohio, responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive child. Upon arriving at the scene, a 2-year-old girl was found lifeless, with signs of suffocation.

The child's mother and her boyfriend were immediately detained on child endangerment charges.

Tien Hawkins, a 25-year-old mother of three, and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Brian Moser (also known as Terry Smith III), were taken to Adams County Jail.

The 911 call was made at approximately 9:08 a.m. The caller reported an unresponsive 2-year-old at the Timber Ridge Apartment Complex in the village of West Union, 55 miles southeast of Cincinnati.

Deputies from the sheriff's office and EMTs from local fire and emergency departments determined that the child wasn't breathing. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Adams County Coroner's Office.

Her remains were transported to Montgomery County for an autopsy. The coroner determined the cause of death to have been suffocation, though details about when and how are still unknown.

According to Aaron Haslam, prosecutor for Adams County, the child's death has not been classified as a homicide yet. However, additional charges may be pressed depending on the outcome of the investigation.

Authorities were alerted to the incident when Moser called 911: "I believe that my stepchild is dead (...) I don't know if they suffocated last night, or what's going. There's no way that — I don't know. I don't know. She's dead. I just woke up and found her."

Upon arrival, officers also found two other children in the residence — the victim's 1-year-old and 5-year-old sisters, both visibly injured. Haslam said authorities intend to take their statements to determine the cause of these injuries.

The investigation is ongoing. "Whether a true act or just an accident, we don't know at this point, but the bottom line is a two-year-old child has been lost and our prayers go out to the family," said Adams County Sheriff Kenneth Dick.

The local community spoke fondly of the victim. "She was sweet. She was just a cute little sweet girl who loved to play outside and always had a smile on her face. Very sweet," recalled neighbor Kelie Proffitt.

Another neighbor, Ciara Thurman, used to watch the children and remembers rocking the victim to sleep, "It hurts. She had the biggest heart, you know, biggest soul. Just smiley, happy," said Thurman.

Thurman worked together with Hawkins at a local McDonald’s. Moser was also employed at the same establishment. Regarding Moser, Thurman said that “he seemed pretty decent. Like, he just, he seemed like he loved the girls.”

The surviving children were placed in the care of Child Protective Services. Their injuries were not life-threatening. Hawkins and Moser are scheduled to appear in court, while authorities await toxicological results and other reports.

Just one day before calling 911, on June 30, Moser completed the process of legally changing his name (from Terry Smith III to Brian Moser).

He shared the news on his Facebook page that Sunday, around 3 p.m. His post also referenced an unspecified legacy that he wished to distance himself from by changing his name.

"It's official! My new name is Brian Moser. I couldn't be more happier [sic] to get rid of that awful legacy I was bound to," wrote Moser on Facebook.

That same day, and also on Facebook, Hawkins shared a satirical post from online comedian Tiaeshia, which referenced the ease with which children accidentally bump their heads.

In the post, Tiaeshia wonders about the source of a loud noise, then writes “My kids.” Attached to the post was a picture of a young girl with a lime-sized bump in the middle of her forehead.

A few days earlier, on June 26, Hawkins shared a post that she captioned “picture updates of the girls,” with dozens of photos of the children.

Moser commented on the post: “I love raising these girls with you my love.” Hawkins replied with “thank you for everything you do for us honey.”

The investigation into the tragic death of the two-year-old girl continues. We extend our deepest sympathies to the grieving family in this difficult time.