Couple who allegedly tried to give away baby for beer, $1,000 arrested: Reports
FILE - Jail cells inside of a correctional facility. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)
An Arkansas couple was arrested after they allegedly tried to sell their 2-month-old baby at a campground for some beer and $1,000.
‘There will be no changing y’all two’s minds’
Benton County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Hide Away Campground in Rogers, Arkansas on Saturday after a caller said a young couple tried to give up their baby in exchange for money and a six-pack of beer, People reported.
When officers arrived at the campgrounds, the baby was taken to a local hospital to receive medical attention.
Deputies found that the parents of the child, Darien Urban, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, 20, had given their baby to a man to watch overnight in exchange for a six-pack of beer.
The man who took the baby spoke with police and said that he was concerned for the baby’s welfare, according to KWCH 12 News.
Ehlers told the man who exchanged the beer for the baby and another person that having three dogs and a baby was "not working" and she was willing to surrender the baby for $1,000.
The other man wrote a letter for the couple to sign which read, "I Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers are signing over to [redacted] of our baby boy [redacted] for $1,000 on 09/21/2024."
The letter was signed by both parents and included a disclaimer that read: "Disclaimer: After signing this there will be no changing y’all two’s minds and to never contact again," according to People.
Baby smelled of ammonia, fecal matter
A woman who told detectives that Ehlers had come to her earlier that evening asking for beer said the baby smelled like ammonia and fecal matter. The baby’s diaper was also full, People reported.
She changed the baby’s diaper and saw that he had a heavy rash, blisters and swelling on his buttocks and genitals, according to an affidavit obtained by People.
The woman also claimed she saw dog hair in the baby’s diaper.
Parents arrested
Both Urban and Ehlers were arrested on Saturday and given a $50,000 bail. Urban appears to have been released while Ehlers remains in custody, according to jail records.
The baby is in the care of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, People reported.