New information from a previous investigation is shedding more light on the woman accused of kidnapping two young girls while babysitting them in Atlanta.
Lakesha Brown, 42, is accused of kidnapping a 4-year-old and an 11-month-old while caring for them over the weekend.
But months before the latest allegations, investigators in Paulding County, Georgia, were already trying to unravel another disturbing mystery involving Brown — whether she had actually given birth to a newborn child.
Sheriff Ashley Henson said investigators ultimately determined there was no newborn and that Brown had faked the pregnancy.
According to Henson, Brown was attempting to deceive a man into believing she was pregnant with his child and had given birth.
“It appeared that she was actually trying to scam an individual, indicating that she was pregnant,” Henson told WAGA. “She was not.”
He said Brown showed the man photographs that led him to believe she had given birth.
According to the incident report obtained by WAGA, a woman told deputies that her brother had received a photograph from Brown of what he believed was their baby.
When deputies went to Brown’s home, she denied having a newborn. She told investigators the only baby inside was a 6-month-old boy.
As deputies searched the house, they noted several unusual things, including an opened package of newborn diapers and photographs and messages appearing to suggest Brown had been pregnant and had given birth.
WAGA reported deputies also noticed two burn barrels outside the home, including one with maggots around burned material. But the newborn was never found, and the report did not establish any connection between the barrels and a child.
Henson said Brown then lied to investigators about what happened, resulting in an obstruction charge.
“Throughout the course of the investigation, she lied to our detectives about the nature of the case,” he told WAGA.
Brown was charged with obstruction and willfully obstructing a detective investigating a report of a possible injured or missing child. The warrant alleges Brown lied “during multiple interviews.”
Authorities had not arrested Brown on the Paulding County warrant before her arrest in Atlanta on charges of kidnapping 4-year-old Zola Cooper and her 11-month-old sister Norah Cooper.
How Brown Met the Girls’ Mother
According to her Atlanta arrest warrants, Brown allegedly 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 first time I let her take them with her, she just used to be around, and I was around when she was around,” Redding told WAGA.
Authorities now accuse Brown of using that relationship to gain access to the children.
A Previous Kidnapping Case
The Atlanta allegations are not the first time Brown has faced a kidnapping charge involving a baby.
Atlanta Black Star previously reported on Brown’s initial kidnapping accusations in Jefferson County, Alabama, in 2021.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies said Brown kidnapped 4-day-old Kamarion Taylor while his mother slept.
When the mother contacted Brown, she allegedly told her the baby was in his playpen where she had left him before leaving the home.
Family members told investigators Brown began posting pictures of a baby who appeared to be Kamarion. They also told deputies about previous social media posts in which Brown claimed she had recently given birth to twin boys.
Brown was charged with first-degree kidnapping, and her bond was set at $100,000.
However, nearly five years later, Brown never went to trial. She had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear.
Tasha Taylor, Kamarion’s grandmother, took to Facebook after hearing about Brown’s latest arrest.
“We need answers. We never got a conviction, and yet she has kidnapped two more kids. I blame Birmingham Police,” she wrote.
Brown’s Current Status
Brown is now being held in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
She waived her right to appear in court Tuesday.
Atlanta Black Star has reached out to authorities and family members of the victims for additional information about the case but has not heard back.
