Babysitter accused of kidnapping Atlanta girls due in court
Woman accused of kidnapping girls due in court
The babysitter accused of kidnapping two young Atlanta sisters is expected to appear in court Tuesday, one day after police found the children safe at a southwest Atlanta apartment complex. Marc Teichner reporting.
ATLANTA - The babysitter accused of kidnapping two young Atlanta sisters is expected to appear in court Tuesday, one day after police found the children safe at a southwest Atlanta apartment complex.
ORIGINAL STORY: 2 missing Atlanta sisters found, babysitter arrested for kidnapping
What we know:
Lakesha Brown is being held at the Fulton County Jail and faces a kidnapping charge in connection with the disappearance of 4-year-old Zola Cooper and her 11-month-old sister, Norah Cooper.
The girls were found Monday in a trailer at an apartment complex on Sylvan Drive. Police said investigators used cellphone data to track Brown to the complex.
Officers heard a baby crying after arriving at the property and made an emergency entry into the trailer, where they found the children and Brown, according to police.
The sisters were taken to the hospital to be evaluated. Police said they were in good health, and the children have since been reunited with their mother.
How the children disappeared
The backstory:
The girls' mother said she met Brown about a year ago through a mothers' group. Brown had posted about providing free services for expectant mothers, and the two eventually became friends.
Police said Brown began babysitting the sisters around 10 p.m. Saturday. Their mother called 911 about 24 hours later after Brown failed to return the children and her explanations about the delay raised concerns.
The mother said Brown claimed they had been involved in a car crash. However, the mother said she contacted children's hospitals and other hospitals and could not find any record that Brown or the girls had been treated.
The search for the sisters prompted authorities to issue an Amber Alert before investigators eventually tracked them to the Sylvan Drive property.
Previous kidnapping allegations
Dig deeper:
Investigators say Brown was already wanted in connection with another kidnapping case.
Police identified Brown as a suspect in the 2021 kidnapping of a 4-day-old baby in Alabama. Authorities said she had an outstanding warrant after allegedly failing to appear for a court hearing in that case in May.
What's next:
Brown is expected to face the new kidnapping charge in court Tuesday as the investigation continues.