Babysitter’s bizarre outing saw 2 kids taken from Florida to Wisconsin park, cops say

Two toddlers were swept up in a bizarre overnight odyssey when their babysitter drove them from Panama City, Florida, to Wisconsin and abandoned them, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

The children, ages 1 and 2, were found by police in a Milwaukee park, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

A motive for the 1,000-mile outing has not been revealed, but the 18-year-old babysitter and a male companion from Milwaukee have been arrested, officials said.

“The Bay County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the mother (June 24) reporting that her two children had been taken out of state by a woman she believed to be a friend. The woman had also taken the mother’s vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said.

“It was learned (the two suspects) had traveled from Panama City, FL, to Milwaukee, WI, during the night of June 23 and into the day of June 24. ... When (they) learned of the Missing Child Alert, the suspects took both children and dropped them off in a public park (June 25) in a neighborhood of Milwaukee, leaving them alone in a major metropolitan city.”

Investigators have not said how long the children were alone in the park, but they were found “that evening” by Milwaukee police, officials said.

The babysitter and her companion were arrested June 26 at a Milwaukee home by the U.S. Marshals Service, officials said.

Bay County Sheriff’s Office officials say the 18-year-old woman is being charged with “interference with child custody and grand theft of an automobile.” Her male companion is charged with interference with child custody, officials said.

Investigators did not report the children suffered any injuries during the incident.

Panama City is about 100 miles east of Pensacola, on the Florida Panhandle. The babysitter lives in Callaway, just east of Panama City, officials said.

This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 6:59 AM with the headline "Babysitter’s bizarre outing saw 2 kids taken from Florida to Wisconsin park, cops say."