Two Texas parents were arrested and charged with child negligence after officials allege they left their 6-month-old baby unsupervised on a Florida beach for over an hour while walking away with their other children.
The incident occurred on October 10 in Miramar Beach, a census-designated area east of Destin on the Florida Panhandle.
Around noon on Friday, deputies arrived at 4000 Sandestin Boulevard after receiving reports of an abandoned infant on the beach. When deputies arrived, witnesses confirmed that the youngster had been left alone for over an hour beneath a tent while his parents walked down the beach with three other children, according to a Facebook post from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
Good Samaritans quickly began caring for the infant and contacted law enforcement, according to authorities.
“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,” the sheriff said.
While deputies waited for South Walton Fire District officials to come and assess the infant, the parents returned to the site, where both acknowledged placing the child beneath the tent for a nap before departing with their other children, stating they had lost track of time, according to the WCSO report.
The family was gone for an hour and left their phone behind, as shown in the security footage.
South Walton Fire personnel examined the infant and determined that their vital signs were normal and that them were not in distress. The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) was contacted and responded promptly to the site.
Both parents, Brian Wilks, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, of Houston, Texas, were arrested and charged with child negligence without serious physical injury. DCF assumed possession of the youngsters pending the arrival of family members from Texas. On Saturday, October 11, they each bonded out for $1,000.
“This incident serves as a reminder that even brief moments of inattention can have serious consequences and can sometimes lead to tragic outcomes,” the sheriff’s office said.
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