Month: October 2025

By Sergio Candido

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    Florida (WFOR) — Two Texas parents were arrested and face child neglect charges after authorities said they left their 6-month-old baby unattended on a Florida beach for nearly an hour while they walked away with their other children.

The incident took place on Oct. 10 in Miramar Beach, a census-designated area located just east of Destin in the Florida Panhandle.

Around noon that Friday, deputies responded to 4000 Sandestin Boulevard following reports of an unattended infant on the beach. When deputies arrived, witnesses confirmed the child had been left alone for nearly an hour beneath a tent while the parents walked down the beach with three other children, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday in a Facebook post detailing the arrest.

Good Samaritans immediately began caring for the child and called law enforcement, authorities 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,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said.

While deputies waited for South Walton Fire District personnel to arrive and assess the infant, the parents returned to the scene, where both admitted to placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children, claiming they lost track of time, WCSO said.

Video showed Houston parents left baby alone for nearly an hour

Security footage obtained during the investigation confirmed the family was away for nearly an hour and did not bring their cellphone with them.

South Walton Fire personnel evaluated the infant and confirmed the child’s vitals were normal and they were not in distress. The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) was notified and responded immediately to the scene.

Both parents, Brian Wilks, 40, and Sara Wilks, 37, of Houston, Texas, were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. DCF took custody of the children pending the arrival of family members traveling from Texas. They both bonded out the following on Saturday, Oct. 11, on a $1,000 bond each.

“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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By Glenda Lewis

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    SOUTHFIELD, Michigan (WXYZ) — For the first time in five years, the mother of a woman mistakenly declared dead in Southfield is speaking out about her ongoing fight for justice.

Erica Lattimore’s daughter, 20-year-old Timesha Beauchamp, was found alive in a funeral home in 2020, but the case still has not gone to court.

Just three days before a scheduled trial, the Oakland County Circuit Court issued an order postponing it for a third time.

“That’s devastating to a family already to hear she’s deceased, prepare your mind mentally that you have to prepare a funeral initially and then to hear someone say, ‘No, your child is alive,'” Lattimore said.

Lattimore’s attorneys met with media at Fieger Law Offices to share the heartbreak over what they say has been five years of endless delays, appeals and denials being used to keep the mother from having her day in court.

“Three days before this family was finally supposed to have an opportunity to tell their story, finally have an opportunity to confront the government for what they did. Instead, because of laws here in Michigan that give the government and only the government chance after chance after chance to avoid accountability,” attorney Steve Hurbis said.

The incident occurred in August 2020 when Beauchamp, who had cerebral palsy and was nonverbal, was having trouble breathing. After a medical crew tried to resuscitate her, a doctor pronounced her dead by phone. She was taken to the morgue instead of the hospital, where she was found with her eyes open and alive when the body bag was unzipped. Beauchamp eventually died almost two months later.

“They found Timesha alive in a body bag at a funeral home,” attorney Steve Hurbis said. “Her family had to receive a phone call on one of the most challenging days of their entire life telling them that their little girl was alive. She was alive when she was placed in that body bag and it was the actions of the government’s employees that got her there.”

“This is the second time we’ve been up to the Court of Appeals on government immunity issues in this case,” attorney Jennifer Damico said. “We’re very confident that we will prevail. Again, the problem is that’s just more delay. I don’t know how long it’ll take for the Court of Appeals, but, I mean, probably got another year until we get this case back in line for trial.”

The delays have taken a toll on Beauchamp’s siblings — an older brother and a twin brother, who has autism. Lattimore says they are both having a hard time accepting what happened, with sleepless nights spent in their sister’s room.

Despite the emotional toll, Lattimore remains determined.

“I had to be stronger for her two siblings, so all of my emotions and stuff, I kind of buried them …” an emotional Lattimore said. “I’m not giving up. I will go through the long haul, however long it takes. She lived 20 years. If it takes 20 more years for this to get heard in court and God gives me the breath, I’m there.”

Attorneys for the city of Southfield have not yet responded to requests for comment about the third appeal.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.