Authorities in Georgia have apprehended a babysitter accused of kidnapping two young sisters. The children, Zola Cooper, aged four, and Norah Cooper, eleven months old, were reportedly taken by Lakesha Brown.
The Atlanta Police Department confirmed on Monday that the girls, who had initially been considered to be in "extreme danger," were safely located and recovered by officers.
Atlanta Kidnapping Incident Unfolds
Brown reportedly gained the trust of the girls' mother and agreed to care for them while the mother went out for dinner on Saturday evening. Upon returning from dinner, the mother was unable to establish contact with Brown and promptly alerted law enforcement minutes later.
Police stated that the girls' mother reported them missing around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. She had entrusted her children to Brown's care at 6 p.m. earlier that evening.
By Monday afternoon, police announced a breakthrough, successfully locating the children using technological resources that led them to the Sylvan Road area. Upon arrival, officers heard crying, subsequently found the girls, and safely brought them into protective custody.
Prior Abduction Charges in Alabama
Atlanta police also disclosed that Brown had previously been implicated in a similar kidnapping case in Alabama.
Investigators in Alabama reported that in August 2021, Brown was arrested for the alleged kidnapping of infant Kamarion Taylor, who was only four days old at the time. Brown reportedly earned the trust of Taylor's mother and grandmother before allegedly abducting the infant while his mother was asleep.
"When Kamarion’s mother awoke, the baby was nowhere to be found. Lakesha was also gone. The mother immediately contacted Lakesha and asked where Kamarion was. Lakesha told her that Kamarion was there in his playpen where she laid him before she left," the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office stated regarding the 2021 incident.
Following that investigation, Kamarion was safely recovered, and Brown was subsequently booked into jail.
