Brian and Sara Wilks: Houston Parents Arrested After Leaving 6-Month-Old Baby Alone for Nearly an Hour on Miramar Beach, Florida

A Houston, Texas couple, Brian Wilks, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, were arrested after allegedly leaving their 6-month-old baby unattended on a Florida beach for nearly an hour while they went off to explore the area.

According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), deputies were called to Miramar Beach, located just east of Destin, around noon on October 10, after beachgoers found an abandoned baby lying beneath a tent along 4000 Sandestin Boulevard.

Witnesses told deputies that the infant had been left alone for close to an hour while the parents walked down the shoreline with their three other children.

“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 in a statement.

When deputies arrived, South Walton Fire District personnel were called to check on the infant, who was later found to have normal vitals and showed no signs of distress.

Texas parents arrested after leaving infant unattended on beach for nearly an hour in Walton County, Florida. Image via Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

The parents returned to the scene shortly afterward, telling officers they had left the baby under the tent for a nap before walking away with their other children — claiming they “lost track of time.”

Security footage confirmed the couple had been away for nearly an hour and had not taken their phone with them.

Both Brian and Sara Wilks were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) took custody of all four children while relatives traveled from Texas to pick them up.

The couple was later released on $1,000 bond each on Saturday, October 11.