Atlanta police rescued two young sisters from a sweltering trailer in Georgia after they were allegedly abducted by their babysitter. Lakesha Brown, 42, was arrested and charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children.
The mother of Zola Cooper, 4, and her 11-month-old sister, Norah, reported the girls missing Sunday night after Brown failed to return them as agreed. The mother stated she had hired Brown, who she had not used before, to babysit the children Saturday evening.
An Amber Alert was issued as authorities began a search. Police traced Brown's cellphone to a trailer in a parking lot approximately five miles from where the girls were last seen. Responding officers heard a child crying from inside the trailer.
Police body camera footage captured the moment officers forced entry into the trailer around 12:30 p.m. Monday. Temperatures inside the trailer reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and investigators described the conditions as "unclean and unsuitable."
Officers can be seen in the footage breaking the trailer's lock and ordering Brown to surrender. The two girls were then passed to officers and secured.
Zola and Norah were reunited with their mother in good health. Brown was booked into the Fulton County Jail. Jail records indicate Brown has two other outstanding warrants: one in Paulding County, Georgia, and another in Jefferson County, Alabama.
The Alabama warrant relates to a 2021 case where Brown is accused of kidnapping a four-day-old newborn. The newborn was recovered safely, but the case was ongoing, with Brown having missed a scheduled court appearance.
In Paulding County, Brown faces charges related to an investigation last year into the welfare of a baby she allegedly gave birth to. While officers did not find an infant, they noted the presence of diapers for a newborn and burn barrels in the yard. The case was classified as suspicious activity, and a warrant for Brown's arrest was issued in December 2025.
Alabama prosecutors are seeking to have Brown extradited to face the 2021 kidnapping charge, and it remains unclear if Paulding County will also request her transfer.