An Arkansas mates signed an insane statement successful a twisted effort to pawn disconnected their two-month-old babe to strangers astatine a campy tract for $1,000 and immoderate beers.
Darien Tyler Urban, 21, and Shalene Faith Ehlers, 20, were trying to waste and acquisition their babe boy to a man they met at a campground adjacent Beaver Lake connected Saturday erstwhile nan head called police, KNWA reports.
Deputies arrived connected nan segment learned that nan mates had signed a missive granting custody to a man named Cody Martin successful speech for a $1,000 cashier's check.
The duo had earlier passed their babe disconnected to different man who was noticeably intoxicated for immoderate beer, according to nan Benton County Sheriff's Office.
The statement read: 'I, Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers, are signing our authorities complete to [Martin] of our babe for $1,000 connected 9/21/24.
'Disclaimer: After signing this location will beryllium nary changing y'all 2 minds and to ne'er interaction again.'
Darien Urban, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, 20, were arrested for allegedly trying to waste their two-month-old babe boy to a alien for $1,000
The mates were staying astatine a campground adjacent Beaver Lake successful Arkansas
When deputies arrived connected nan scene, Ehlers and Urban were obscurity to beryllium found, according to 4029TV.
Deputies past said pinch respective witnesses, including Ricky Crawford, who they said 'smelled heavily' of alcohol, was slurring his words and was struggling to enactment upright.
Crawford told deputies he approached nan young mates earlier and offered to return their babe for nan nighttime successful speech for a six-pack of beer, according to KNWA.
Crawford besides said he was 'concerned astir nan welfare' of nan child, and brought nan babe pinch him to Martin, who was staying successful a camper.
Urban and Ehlers past went to Martin's camper pinch nan connection to waste nan babe for $1,000, nan Kansas City Star reports, citing tribunal documents.
Martin said Ehlers told him it was difficult for her to return attraction of nan babe because of her pets, saying it 'was not moving having 3 dogs and a baby.'
Martin agreed to salary for nan baby, but told nan mates he wanted to person it successful writing. So he drew up nan crude statement for nan mates to sign.
He besides took a video of Urban and Ehlers signing nan insubstantial for further impervious they agreed, pinch nan mates saying they planned to 'legalize' nan take that Monday.
But Martin did not person nan money, and told Urban and Ehlers he would bring them a $1,000 cashier's cheque nan adjacent day.
Instead, though, Martin took nan signed statement to nan head of nan campground and explained what happened - prompting nan head to telephone 911.
When investigators yet did find Ehlers and Urban, they asked nan coupe if they knew wherever their kid was, to which they replied that he was undergoing an adoption.
Another women deputies said pinch reported that nan babe 'had a bad ammonia and fecal odor.'
She said she changed his diaper and saw a 'heavy rash, blisters and swelling connected nan baby's hips and genitals.'
The mates were taken into custody and charged pinch endangering nan use of a insignificant and attempting to perpetrate information for relinquishing a insignificant for adoption
The female besides claimed that nan diaper was besides afloat of canine hair, and she gave nan babe a bath.
'Urban and Ehlers created a important consequence of decease aliases superior beingness wounded by abandoning their insignificant kid initially pinch an evidently intoxicated antheral and yet pinch personification they did not know,' tribunal documents say.
The mates were past taken into custody and charged pinch endangering nan use of a insignificant and attempting to perpetrate information for relinquishing a insignificant for adoption.
Urban was released connected a $5,000 enslaved connected Tuesday, while Ehlers remained successful custody connected a $30,000 bail, according to KNWA, which reports that they some had anterior criminal histories.
Urban was antecedently convicted connected 2 counts of felony theft by receiving successful Bentonville successful 2024, and a artillery complaint successful Rogers successful 2023.
He was still serving a 3 twelvemonth probation astatine nan clip of his arrest.
Ehlers, meanwhile, was arrested for misdemeanor shoplifting successful Fayetteville successful 2024.
Last year, Urban besides created an online fundraiser saying he and Ehlers were struggling aft nan commencement of their first child, a daughter.
'My girl Rosa was calved connected May 20, 2023 and I'm ace happy to beryllium a dad, but I support getting hit down each clip I deliberation life starts turning around,' it said.
'I'm trying to make this fundraiser because we unrecorded retired of a motel correct now and it's taking each of my money from my paychecks from work. I activity for Uber Eats.
'Any costs we summation from this will beryllium utilized to get a amended tile complete my family.'
The fundraiser only netted $150 for nan family.
It is unclear what happened pinch nan older child, but prosecutors said nan babe boy is now successful nan attraction of nan Arkansas Department of Human Service.