Nationwide — Two sisters, Norah Cooper and Zola Cooper, ages 11 months and 4 years, were found safe after their babysitter reportedly abducted them. Officers arrested the woman Monday after locating the children at an apartment complex in Atlanta, Georgia.
Their mother, Elica Redding, had left the girls with Lakesha Brown Saturday evening while she went out to eat. According to WLBT, Redding had known Brown for about a year after they met through an online group for mothers, where Brown offered free services to expecting women.
Their friendship grew over time, and Redding eventually trusted Brown to care for her daughters. But Brown did not return with the children as expected, leaving Redding worried and prompting her to report them missing Sunday.
Police said Brown gave Redding information that led her to believe the girls would be returned. When they did not come back, authorities issued an Amber Alert Monday morning with details about a white Ford F-350 connected to the case.
A tip and cellphone data helped officers track Brown to the Gateway South Apartment Complex. They heard a baby crying and then found Brown with both girls inside a trailer. The children appeared to be healthy and were taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Brown faces a kidnapping charge and will remain in custody without bond. Police said she also faced a kidnapping case in Alabama in 2021 involving a 4-day-old baby and had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court. The FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation also helped with the search.