Parents Arrested After Leaving Napping Infant Alone On FL Beach

MIRAMAR BEACH, FL — A Texas couple was arrested and charged earlier this month after they left their napping infant alone on a Florida beach while they went for a walk with their other children, according to police.

The incident happened around noon on Oct. 10 near 4000 Sandestin Boulevard in Miramar Beach, the Walton County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Deputies responded to the beach after bystanders contacted them and told them the 6-month-old child had been left alone beneath a beach tent.

When first responders arrived, they found the child in stable condition and showing no signs of distress. According to police, Good Samaritans immediately began caring for the child before calling law enforcement.

The child's parents were identified as Brian Wilks and Sara Wilks, a healthcare executive from Houston, according to an arrest report obtained by The New York Post.

Both admitted to placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children, claiming they lost track of time.

“Mr. Wilks stated that the infant usually naps during this time and was asleep when they left the infant in the tent unattended,” the arrest report obtained by the Post stated.

A review of security camera footage confirmed the couple had been gone for nearly an hour and had left their cell phone behind, police said.

Both Brian Wilks, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of their children pending the arrival of family members traveling from Texas.

Police said they both were released from jail after posting a $1,000 bond.