Two parents from the Spring Branch area were arrested in Florida after authorities say they left their 6-month-old baby unattended on a beach for nearly an hour.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Brian, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, were vacationing with their children at Miramar Beach when deputies received a call Friday afternoon about a baby left alone under a beach tent.
When deputies arrived, they said they found the infant safe in the arms of a good Samaritan. Deputies said the parents were taken into custody shortly afterward and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, a felony.
Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said the couple reportedly left their baby unattended while they and their three other children went for a walk.
“It’s right there at that hour time frame, 50 minutes to an hour, way longer than what would be reasonable,” Cosson said.
Deputies say the incident occurred near the Hilton Sandestin resort. They say witnesses told them they noticed the baby alone for an extended period. According to the arrest report, the parents told authorities they had “lost track of time” and that it was the baby’s nap time.
Cosson said that the explanation was concerning.
“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 said. “The baby could roll over and suffocate itself, or the wind could blow a towel over its face. There’s no telling what could have happened.”
No one answered the door at the Wilks’ Spring Branch-area home when ABC13 attempted to contact the parents, and no one responded to messages. Online court records show no listed attorney for either parent. Authorities said the couple posted a $1,000 bond on Saturday. Their children were placed in state custody until relatives from Texas could arrive.
Cosson emphasized that Florida’s beaches are safe for families but urged parents to use caution and common sense.
“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 said. “It still means you have to do the best for your children.”
Authorities said the couple left their cell phones behind with the baby on the beach, making them harder to reach. Deputies do not believe the parents acted maliciously, but the decision to leave a baby unattended warranted criminal charges, Cosson said.
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