Lakesha Brown. Courtesy of Fulton County Sheriff's Office
ATLANTA - A woman accused of abducting two young sisters in Atlanta while babysitting them was indicted last week, according to Fulton County court records.
What we know:
Lakesha Brown was indicted on Sept. 4 following her arrest in connection with the disappearance of 4-year-old Zola Cooper and 11-month-old Norah Cooper.
Authorities booked Brown into the Fulton County Jail on two counts of kidnapping and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children.
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Police issued an Amber Alert for the young girls after Brown failed to bring them back to their mother, Alicia Redding, on Aug. 15.
Redding contacted hospitals after Brown claimed they were involved in a vehicle crash, but medical staff had no records of the children, prompting a 911 call at 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 16.
Atlanta police officers found the missing children on Aug. 17 in the 2000 block of Sylvan Road.
Investigators relied on technology and tips from local residents to locate the area.
Officers searched the location after hearing a baby crying, entered a trailer and found both children inside.
Officers arrested Brown at the scene and brought her to Atlanta Police Department headquarters for questioning.
Redding told police she met Brown in a Facebook moms group about a year ago and trusted her. The kidnapping was the first time she allowed Brown to watch the children alone.
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Bodycam footage released of officers rescuing missing girls
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What we don't know:
Authorities have not stated what led Brown to take the children or where she intended to go with them.
The backstory:
Jail records show Brown faces active warrants in Paulding County and Jefferson County, Alabama. The Alabama warrant relates to a 2021 case involving the alleged kidnapping of a 4-day-old baby.
Court records show Brown failed to appear for a scheduled trial in that case in May. Prosecutors in Alabama filed a motion Monday seeking to revoke her bond, citing her missed court date and the new criminal charges in Atlanta.
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 Atlanta, who interviewed the mother and reviewed court records, as well as jail records and police investigators.