Baby found on Florida beach by good Samaritans. Texas couple arrested, cops say

A Texas couple’s Florida vacation landed them in jail after deputies discovered the family left a 6-month-old baby unattended on the beach, according to investigators in the Panhandle.

Witnesses reported finding the child around noon Friday, Oct. 10, at Miramar Beach, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 14 news release.

“Good Samaritans immediately began caring for the child and called law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said.

“While deputies waited for (medics) to arrive and assess the infant, the parents returned to the scene, where both admitted to placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other children, claiming they lost track of time.”

A review of security camera footage “confirmed the family was away for nearly an hour and did not bring their cell phone with them,” the sheriff’s office said.

Emergency medical personnel determined the infant was “not in distress.” Temperatures at Miramar Beach rose into the low 80s on Oct. 10, AccuWeather reports.

The parents, who are from Houston, “ were arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the children until they could be released to “family members traveling from Texas,” officials said. The couple was released on bond the next day.

“We’re thankful for the quick-thinking beachgoer who raised the alarm and for those who stepped in to care for the child with the same kindness and concern they would show their own,” Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in the news release.

Miramar Beach is about a 55-mile drive east from Pensacola.

This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 7:36 AM with the headline "Baby found on Florida beach by good Samaritans. Texas couple arrested, cops say."