Babysitter, boyfriend arrested after missing Florida toddlers are found abandoned in Wisconsin
06/28/2023 1:57 pm PDT
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (TCD) -- An 18-year-old woman and her 22-year-old boyfriend were arrested this week after they allegedly kidnapped two young children she was supposed to be babysitting and drove them from Florida to Wisconsin.
On June 25, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Missing Child Alert for 1-year-old Delyla Middleton and 2-year-old Dekarsen Middleton out of Panama City. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they were likely traveling in a red 1998 Ford Explorer and could be in Milwaukee.
According to a statement, on June 24, the children's mother contacted the Bay County Sheriff's Office and said her children were "taken out of state by a woman she believed to be a friend" and that the babysitter drove off in her car. The mom said the female suspect, Adalyn Jean Burkett, was supposed to babysit the kids overnight on June 23 and that Burkett could use the car under the agreement that she would return it in the morning of June 24.
The mother reportedly spoke with Burkett, who said she was not in Florida.
Investigators from the Bay County Sheriff's Office began searching for the kids and learned Burkett and her boyfriend, Marquan Edwards, ended up in Milwaukee, where he is from. Officials obtained a warrant for Burkett's arrest on charges of interference with child custody and grand theft of automobile and a warrant for Edward's arrest for principal to inference with child custody.
According to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Burkett and Edwards found out about the Missing Child Alert and allegedly abandoned the kids at a park. Milwaukee Police located the children and took them back to the station.
U.S. Marshals reportedly found Edwards and Burkett at a home in Milwaukee June 26 and arrested them. Milwaukee Police are reportedly investigating Burkett and Waters for leaving the children unattended in the park.
It's approximately 1,000 miles from Panama City, Florida, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and would take over 16 hours to drive from one city to the other.
MORE:
TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more, and don’t forget to follow us on TikTok.
