Two parents from Houston are facing child abuse charges after leaving a 6-month old unattended on a Florida beach for nearly an hour.
Around noon on Friday, Oct. 10, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an unattended infant at Miramar Beach in Walton County, Florida.
Upon noticing the unattended infant, bystanders began caring for it and notified law enforcement.
Deputies arrived and fellow beachgoers confirmed the child had been left alone for nearly an hour while the parents walked down the beach with their three other children.
While deputies waited for the South Walton Fire District personnel to arrive and asses the infant, the parents returned.
Both parents admitted to putting the infant under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children.
The parents left without a cell phone and claimed they lost track of time.
The infants vitals were normal and the child was not in distress.
“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,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) was notified and took custody of the children until family members from Texas arrived.
Both parents, Brian Wilks, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. They were each held at $1,000 bond, and bonded out the next day.
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