A couple in Arkansas has been arrested and accused of trying to sell their 2-month-old baby for $1,000 and beer, officials say.
The boy's parents, Darien Urban, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, 20, were arrested on Sept. 21 by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and attempting to negotiate the relinquishment of a minor for adoption, NBC affiliate KARK reported.
According to court documents obtained by KARK, the manager of the Hide Away Campground contacted police on Sept. 21 to report an incident involving Urban and Ehlers.
Police then obtained a letter where Urban and Ehlers reportedly agreed to give a man the custody of their child in exchange for $1,000, the affidavit obtained by KARK reads.
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The letter, signed by both parents, also included a disclaimer saying, "There will be no changing y'all two's minds and to never contact again," KARK reported.
After signing the letter, the couple intended to surrender the baby the following Monday, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also found that earlier in the day, another resident of the campground had offered the couple to take the baby for the night in exchange for several cans of beer, according to court documents obtained by KARK.
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Responding officers then found the baby needed medical attention and called emergency medical personnel, who transported the child to a local hospital for evaluation. The couple was not present at the time.
Urban was arrested and released on a $5,000 bond on Sept. 24. Ehlers was arrested but remained in custody on a $30,000 bail.
