New video shows the dramatic moment police found the babysitter accused of abducting two Black sisters in Atlanta — and it wasn’t her first time. She was out on bond after being accused of kidnapping another baby.
Atlanta police arrested Lakesha Brown on Aug. 17 inside a trailer at the Gateway South Apartments on Sylvan Road. Warrants say it had no air conditioning.
She is accused of kidnapping 4-year-old Zola Cooper and her 11-month-old sister, Norah.
According to her arrest warrants, the 42-year-old posed as a babysitter in a Facebook “pregnancy mom group”. That’s where she met the girls’ mother, Elica Redding, about a year ago. After gaining Redding’s trust, Brown was allowed to care for the girls.
“The mother thought she was leaving her children in the care that she could trust,” Lt. Christapher Butler said as he recounted how Redding had left them with Brown on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 15.
Redding says Brown told her she was taking the girls to Walmart on Sunday but failed to show up at the designated grandmother’s house afterwards. An Amber Alert was issued early Monday morning.
Dramatic Video
Atlanta Police released the bodycam video Tuesday showing the children’s rescue and Brown’s arrest. Investigators say the FBI used cellphone ping technology to track Brown’s phone to the location.
The video an officer removing the lock on the trailer with bolt cutters. Another officer opens the door revealing Brown and the children.
“Lakesha! Put your f—ing hands up,” an officer yells as a baby cries in the background. “Don’t move, or I will shoot you.”
Another officer then grabs the baby. “I got the baby,” he tells the other officers.
Officers then tell Brown to get up so they can put her in handcuffs. “I’m trying to get up; my legs are stuck,” Brown responds.
Eventually, officers are able to get Brown and arrest her.
A Repeated Cycle
During the investigation, authorities learned Brown had been involved in another kidnapping case in 2021.
According to Jefferson County, Alabama, deputies, she kidnapped 4-day-old Kamarion Taylor while his mother slept.
When the mother contacted Brown, she told her that the baby was in his playpen where she laid him before she left the home.
Family members told investigators Brown began posting pictures of a baby that looked like Kamarion. They also advised deputies of past social media posts by Brown that claimed that she recently gave birth to twin boys.
Deputies quickly located Lakesha, but the newborn was nowhere to be found. Brown denied involvement in his abduction.
Investigators eventually found the baby at a nearby home. He was taken home to be reunited with his mother.
Brown was charged with first-degree kidnapping. Her bond was set at $100,000.
However, nearly five years later, Brown never went to trial for the case. She had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear.
Tasha Taylor, Kamarion’s grandmother, took to Facebook after hearing the news of Brown’s new arrest.
“We need answers. We never got a conviction, and yet she has kidnapped two more kids. I blame Birmingham Police,” she wrote.
The motive behind both cases remains unclear.
Brown is facing kidnapping and cruelty to children charges in relation to the Atlanta case. She waived her first court appearance on Tuesday.
