Couple Charged for Leaving 6-Month-Old Baby Alone on the Beach, Claim They ‘Lost Track of Time’

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• A mother and father have been charged after allegedly leaving their six-month-old baby unattended on a Florida beach

• Eyewitnesses told police that the baby was left alone while the parents wandered on the beach with other children.

• Brian and Sara Wilks claim they ‘lost track of time’

A mother and father are facing charges after allegedly leaving their six-month-old baby unattended on a Florida beach.

According to one report, Brian and Sara Wilks of Houston, Texas, were at Miramar Beach with their four children when they allegedly left the baby alone under a tent for about an hour. expression From the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).

The offices responded to reports of a stray baby on the beach at noon local time on Friday, October 11.

Eyewitnesses told police that the baby was left alone while the parents wandered on the beach with other children.

In the absence of the parents, the baby was cared for by Good Samaritans.

WCSO said Brian, 40, and Sara, 37, returned to the scene while police waited for South Walton Fire District (SWFD) personnel to arrive.

According to authorities, Wilks admitted that they “placed the child under the tent for a nap before they both left with their other children.”

Parents also claimed they “lost track of time.”

“Security footage obtained during the investigation confirmed that the family had been away for approximately an hour and did not bring their cellphones with them,” WCSO said.

SWFD determined that the couple’s baby had normal vitals and was not in distress.

Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) responded to the scene and took custody of the children until relatives traveling from Texas arrived.

Sara and Brian were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, according to WCSO.

They were released the next day on $1,000 bail. It is not clear whether they have legal representatives to comment on their behalf.

“This incident is a reminder that even brief moments of inattention can have serious consequences, sometimes leading to tragic results,” WCSO said. he said.

Sheriff Michael Adkinson added: “We are grateful to the quick-thinking beachgoer who raised the alarm and to those who stepped in to care for the child with the kindness and care they showed.”

Maj. Dustin Cosson of the sheriff’s office said: ABC 13 He said the couple’s statement was unacceptable.

“That’s all well and good, but you can’t just leave a baby at home and then go out and go to the store,” she said. “The baby could roll over and suffocate, or the wind could blow the towel in his face. There’s no telling what could happen.”

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Cosson warned others in Florida not to follow in Wilks’ footsteps.

“Yes, it’s a bubble, but that doesn’t mean we leave common sense behind when crossing the county line or state line into Florida. It still means you have to do what’s best for your kids,” he said.

According to Sara Cardiovascular WorkHe works as a regional president at US Heart and Vascular in Houston.

US Cardiovascular declined to comment when reached by PEOPLE.

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