Authorities say Adaylyn Jean Burkett, 18, who was supposed to babysit a 2-year-old and 1-year-old in Florida, was joined by Marquan L Edwards, 22, as they made their way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Two missing children out of Florida were found in Wisconsin after their babysitter drove them there and then left them in a park alone, according to authorities.
Adaylyn Jean Burkett, 18, was supposed to babysit two siblings overnight on June 23, but the children’s mother called the police to report that Burkett had left with her car and her children and was no longer in Florida, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The mother had agreed that Burkett could use the vehicle as long as she returned it the next morning, sheriffs said. But on the morning of June 24, the mother learned Burkett, someone she thought was a friend, had left, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities quickly began efforts to locate the two children and discovered that Burkett was joined by Marquan L Edwards, 22, and that they were making their way to Milwaukee, the sheriff's statement said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a missing child alert and once Burkett and Edward learned about it, they dropped the two children, ages 2 and 1, at a public park and left them there alone, said the sheriff’s office.
“Investigators believe Burkett and Edwards wanted to distance themselves from the investigation and possible arrest,” the statement alleges.
Luckily, the children were found that evening by police and were taken to the police station, according to the sheriff's office.
According to a Facebook post from the children’s mother, both made it home safely, saying “Mama is soooo happy I woke up and seen you two next to me. You guys and your sister are my biggest blessing.”
Burkett and Edwards were found with the help of the U.S. Marshal Service on June 26, the sheriff's department statement said. Milwaukee Police will be investigating the pair for allegedly leaving the children alone in the park.
