Couple Charged for Leaving 6-Month-Old Baby Alone on the Beach, Claim They 'Lost Track of Time' By Raven Brunner

A mom and dad are facing charges for allegedly leaving their six-month-old baby unattended on a beach in Florida. 

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, according to a statement from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). 

Offices responded to reports of an unattended infant on the beach on Friday, Oct. 11, around noon local time.

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

The baby was cared for by Good Samaritans during the parents’ absence. 

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

The Wilks “both admitted to placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children,” per authorities.

The parents further claimed “they lost track of time.”

“Security footage obtained during the investigation confirmed the family was away for nearly an hour and did not bring their cell phone with them,” the WCSO said. 

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

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

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

They were released on a $1,000 bond the next day. It is not clear if they have legal representation to comment on their behalf.

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“This incident serves as a reminder that even brief moments of inattention can have serious consequences and can sometimes lead to tragic outcomes,” the WCSO said. 

“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,” added Sheriff Michael Adkinson.

Major Dustin Cosson with the sheriff’s office told ABC 13 that the couple’s explanation was unacceptable. 

“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.”

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Cosson cautioned others in Florida to not follow in the Wilks’s footsteps. 

“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. It still means you have to do the best for your children,” he said. 

Sara, according to Cardiovascular Business, works as a regional president at US Heart and Vascular in Houston.

US Heart and Vascular declined to comment when reached by PEOPLE.