A young Arkansas couple has been accused of attempting to sell their baby for a 6-pack of beer and $1,000 at a campsite.
Darien Tyler Urban, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, 20, have been charged with first-degree endangering a juvenile’s welfare and attempting to take remuneration for relinquishment of a minor, both felony counts, according to Benton County Sheriff’s Office court records obtained by Law & Crime.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from the owner of Beaver Lake Hide-A-Way Campground on September 21, when he learned about the transaction, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in court.
Authorities discovered the two-month-old at the campground and notified emergency personnel, who sent the youngster to a hospital for evaluation, according to KFOR. The baby’s biological parents were unable to be found.
According to The Kansas City Star, a witness informed police that the baby boy “had a bad ammonia and fecal odor” and a “heavy rash, blisters, and swelling” on his buttocks and genitals.
Police eventually discovered a “contract” signed by both the fleeing parents and one would-be bidder, identified by officials as Cody Martin.
It read: “On September 21, 2024, Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers will hand over their baby boy’s rights to Cody Nathaniel Martin for $1,000.
“Disclaimer: Alter signing this there will be no changing yall two’s minds and to never contact again.”
A witness supplied a video to investigators, apparently showing Urban, Ehler, and Martin signing the contract.
According to the complaint, Ricky Crawford, a man at the campground who was allegedly inebriated and slurring his speech, told authorities that the sale was motivated by his concern for the baby’s well-being.
He asked the parents if he could take the child in exchange for a few cans of beer, and they readily consented, handing him the youngster and a diaper bag.
Crawford then went to Martin, who was also camping at the campground, and they signed the contract, promising the couple an additional $1,000 for the baby, according to police records. Martin informed law authorities that, while he drew up the contract, no money changed hands since he expected to deliver the couple’s $1,000 check in a few days.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office commented: “It is believed both Urban and Ehler created a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury by abandoning their minor child initially with an intoxicated male and ultimately with someone they did not know.”
The couple was brought into custody and held on $50,000 bond. The boy’s father appears to have been released, but his mother remains in custody, according to Benton County Sheriff’s Office records, reports Law & Crime.
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