Two girls abducted by their babysitter have been found safe, Atlanta police said Monday afternoon.
Police found Zola Cooper, 4, and Norah Cooper, 11 months old, in a private trailer in southwest Atlanta. They were last seen with their babysitter, Lakesha Brown, on Saturday evening, investigators said.
Brown gained the trust of the girls’ mother to babysit them Saturday night, Homicide Unit Commander Lt. Christapher Butler said at a news conference. But when she did not return the children as she indicated she would, their mother reported them missing late Sunday night, launching an all-night search.
Butler said local and federal partners helped in the search. Cellphone data led them to the area of the 2000 block of Sylvan Road, where officers spoke with witnesses and were able to track down Brown, he said.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
“While they were in the area, they heard the sounds of a baby crying,” Butler said. “At that point, they made entry into the trailer and were able to locate the children.”
Both girls are in good health, have been transported to Grady Hospital and will be reunited with their parents, Butler said.
Brown was taken to police headquarters, investigators said.
An Amber Alert was sent out just before 8 a.m. Monday urging the public to look out for a 2009 white Ford F350 truck, which officials believed to be the “suspect vehicle,” Atlanta police said.
Brown faced similar charges in a prior case in Alabama about five years ago, Butler said, where she currently has a pending warrant for failing to appear in court.
“It appears that the suspect gained the mother’s trust over about a year’s time, so the mother thought that she was leaving the children in the care of somebody she could trust,” Butler said. “Make sure you really know the person if they’re going to be entrusted with your children, and definitely call 911 when there’s something that’s not lining up.”
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