Atlanta police released dramatic bodycam footage showing officers rescuing two young sisters from a windowless trailer where they were allegedly held by a fake babysitter.
Zola Cooper, 4, and her 11-month-old sister, Norah Cooper, were found Monday at an apartment complex on Sylvan Road in Atlanta, a day after they were reported critically missing by their mother, Elicia Redding. Police had deemed the girls to “be in extreme danger” when they issued a Levi’s Call, Georgia’s equivalent of an Amber Alert.
The girls had been picked up Saturday night by Lakesha Brown, 42, who had gained the mother’s trust over the course of more than a year. Brown used a mothers’ group on social media to befriend Redding, describing herself as “part of a support system that assisted mothers with babysitting and related services,” according to arrest documents.
“I first met her when she made a post about doing hair for expecting moms. She reached out,” Redding said in an interview with CBS News Atlanta. “The first time she reached out, I brushed it to the side, and the second time I just let her do my hair, and after that we started talking and being friends.”
The alarm was raised when Brown failed to return the girls as expected Saturday night. The suspect initially told Redding that her daughters had been in a car accident, but police found no evidence that any crash occurred. Redding reported the girls missing around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, approximately four hours after she had left them in Brown’s care at 6 p.m. For a dinner outing.
“The mother thought she was leaving her children in the care of someone she could trust,” Atlanta Police Lt. Christapher Butler said during a news conference.
Investigators from APD’s homicide, Special Victims and fugitive units worked through the night with the FBI, GBI and authorities in Alabama. License plate reader data and cellphone information helped narrow the search area to the Sylvan Road property. Members of the Fugitive Unit heard a baby crying from inside a trailer at the apartment complex and entered without a warrant because they believed the children could be in danger.
One officer used bolt cutters to break into the trailer, which cops described as “unsuitable for human habitation.” The structure was windowless, and temperatures had reached 97F that day. Norah, who was wearing only diapers, was brought out of the trailer first, followed by Zola. Brown was also found inside and taken into custody at the scene.
“By placing and maintaining the small children in these conditions without proper authority or adequate care, Ms. Lakesha Brown endangered and jeopardized their health, safety, and well-being,” police stated in arrest documents.
Brown has since been charged with kidnapping and cruelty to children. She will not receive bond and waived her first court appearance Tuesday. The motive behind the alleged kidnapping remains unclear, though Brown reportedly admitted she should have returned the girls, according to police.
In the viral moment that preceded this case, Brown allegedly used the “identical” tactic five years ago to kidnap a newborn. In August 2021, Brown was arrested in Alabama for kidnapping infant Kamarion Taylor, who was just four days old at the time. She had posed as a babysitter through a social media group, gained the trust of Taylor’s mother and grandmother, and kidnapped the infant while his mother was taking a nap. “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 said at the time. Brown is still awaiting trial for that alleged kidnapping and also has an outstanding warrant in Alabama for failing to appear in court.
The girls’ aunt said Atlanta that Zola and Norah were reunited with their family after being taken for medical evaluation. Police said both children were in good health despite their ordeal.
Brown was taken to Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters for questioning following her arrest.