Imagine taking your four children to Florida for a lovely vacation. While you’re at the beach, your 6-month-old falls asleep. Not wanting to spoil the fun for the other three, you and your spouse take off to play with them. If you try this plan, however, you might just end up in jail. Don’t believe us? Ask Brian and Sara Wilks to tell you their beach trip story.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office noted in a news release that deputies responded to a call at Miramar Beach on October 10, 2025, around noon. Witnesses claimed two adults left a baby sleeping under a tent to play with their older children. The Good Samaritans cared for the baby until police arrived.
Witness statements and video surveillance confirmed that the Wilks family left the infant alone for nearly an hour, walking further down the beach. Paramedics checked out the baby, and it seemed to be OK.
“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,” authorities shared in the news release.
Deputies arrested the parents, who face charges of child neglect without great bodily harm. They each posted a $1,000 bond. The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of all four children, holding them until a relative from the family’s home state of Texas could get to them.
“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 shared in the release.
Brian Wilks is 40, and Sara Wilks is 37. We aren’t talking about young parents here, and they have three older other children. These parents clearly should have known better. Thankfully, other caring people stepped in to help.
