A Texas couple left their 6-month-old infant alone on a beach in Florida.
Brian Wilks and his wife Sara Sommers Wilks, who works in the healthcare industry, were arrested for leaving their baby behind with no adult supervision.
The parents' explanation for leaving the child alone left officials concerned.
“There’s no telling what could have happened,” said Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).
Highlights
- A 6-month-old infant was left alone underneath a tent on Miramar Beach.
- The parents returned after nearly an hour and claimed they “lost track of time.”
- “That doesn’t mean as you cross over the county line or over the state line into Florida that we can just leave your common sense behind,” Major Dustin Cosson said.
A Texas couple left their 6-month-old infant alone on a beach in Florida
Image credits: 9nong/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
Sara and Brian were vacationing at Miramar Beach with their children when the incident took place.
Deputies were informed about the 6-month-old daughter being left alone under a beach tent near the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa.
The little one was safe in the arms of a passerby when deputies arrived around noon local time.
Image credits: USTA Texas/Facebook
The Texas couple had left the baby alone to go for a stroll with their three other children.
Their baby was left unattended for about an hour before Sara and Brian returned to find cops waiting for them.
They “both admitted to placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children,” authorities said.
The Texas couple had left the baby alone to go for a stroll with their three other children
Image credits: Norm/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
The couple left their phones behind with the infant under the tent and could not be contacted during their stroll.
They claimed they “lost track of time” while wandering along the beach with their other kids.
“Security footage obtained during the investigation confirmed the family was away for nearly an hour and did not bring their cell phone with them,” WCSO said.
Image credits: Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida/Facebook
The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) personnel confirmed that the child’s vitals were normal and did not appear to be in distress.
The infant and her three older siblings were placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) until relatives from Texas arrived.
Meanwhile, the parents were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.
They were released the next day on a bond of $1,000.
The parents were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm
Image credits: Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida/Facebook
Sheriff Michael Adkinson expressed gratitude to all the passersby who intervened.
“We’re thankful for the quick-thinking beachgoer who raised the alarm and for those who stepped in to care for the child with the same kindness and concern they would show their own,” he said.
Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff's Office said the parents were away for about 50 minutes to an hour, which was “way longer than what would be reasonable.”
Image credits: Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida/Facebook
Dustin said the couple’s explanation of having lost “track of time” was worrying.
“That's all fine and dandy, but you don't just leave a baby at a house and then leave and go off to the store,” he told ABC 13.
“The baby could roll over and suffocate itself, or the wind could blow a towel over its face,” he added. “There's no telling what could have happened.”
Major Dustin Cosson said the couple’s explanation of having lost “track of time” was worrying
Image credits: Shawn Rain/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
While Florida beaches are generally safe for families, Dustin said parents should still be cautious about their children’s safety.
“Yes, it's a bubble, but that doesn't mean as you cross over the county line or over the state line into Florida that we can just leave your common sense behind,” he was quoted as saying. “It still means you have to do the best for your children.”
Sara reportedly serves as the Southeast Texas regional president for the US Heart and Vascular, which provides support services for independent cardiovascular practices in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas.
Image credits: guruXOX/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
Netizens criticized the parents for leaving the child without any adult supervision for nearly an hour.
“That was a very poor decision,” one said, while another wrote, “It's a wonder no one kidnapped the baby.”
“If this is what they do in public, imagine what they do at home. It's frightening,” read a third comment.
“I do not buy their story at all,” one netizen commented online
Image credits: ABC 13
“Who leaves there [sic] baby alone?” a fourth asked.
“Wonder how many times this has happened, but they weren’t caught. Maybe, they should give this child to someone who will treasure him/her, every moment of their lives,” said another.
“Disgusting. Take the baby away from them. Give them a year or more,” one commenter said
