A pair from Northwest Arkansas is accused of making an attempt to promote their child boy for $1,000 and beer, in line with court docket paperwork within the felony case. As detailed in a Benton County Sheriff’s Workplace arrest affidavit, the alleged crime occurred at a campground in Rogers, the place Darien City, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, and their child have been dwelling for roughly three months. Rogers is located within the Ozarks close to the borders of Oklahoma and Missouri.
The situation of the child was not instantly referred to as of Thursday.
In keeping with the affidavit obtained by USA TODAY, deputies had been referred to as to Beaver Lake Conceal Away Campground on September 21 after a report from somebody within the supervisor’s workplace claimed the couple was making an attempt to offer their child away in alternate for cash and beer. The caller additionally knowledgeable authorities that the child required medical consideration as a consequence of noticed rashes and blisters across the kid’s buttocks and genitals.
When deputies arrived, a detective famous within the affidavit that the couple was not current, and the child was taken to a kids’s hospital.
The affidavit states that one witness approached the couple’s camper, requested to take the child in a single day, and offered the couple with beers. The person instructed deputies that the couple agreed, so he took the child out of concern for his welfare.
One other witness, a lady on the campground, additionally took the child, modified his diaper, and bathed him. She captured photographs of the blisters and rash to current to authorities.
On-site, deputies discovered a letter allegedly signed by the couple, agreeing to simply accept a cashier’s verify for $1,000 on Monday in alternate for the kid. The letter said, “I, Darien City and Shalene Ehlers are signing our rights over to Cody Nathaniel Martin of our child boy [redacted] for $1,000 on 09/21/2024,” the letter reads. “Disclaimer: After signing this there will likely be no altering yall two’s minds and to by no means contact once more.”
Detectives additionally obtained cellphone video of each dad and mom signing the letter.
Throughout their interview with detectives, the couple claimed their child “was present process an adoption” and said they recorded the video as a result of they deliberate to finalize the adoption on Monday, in line with the affidavit.
Deputies arrested the couple and booked them into native jail on expenses of felony endangering the welfare of a kid and tried relinquishment of a minor for adoption. A decide set their bond at $50,000 every.
Courtroom and jail information indicated that each defendants had been launched on Thursday.
The dad and mom are scheduled to look in court docket on October 29.