Healthcare executive and husband are BANNED from entirety of Florida county after leaving six-month-old baby alone on beach - as they avoid jail time

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:31, 22 June 2026 | Updated: 19:58, 22 June 2026 A top healthcare executive and her husband who left their six-month-old baby alone on a Florida beach have had their charges dropped by prosecutors.  Brian, 40, and Sara Wilkes, 37, were arrested last October after police responded to reports of a baby being left unattended on Miramar Beach.  After initially both being charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, no further action is being carried out against them if they meet certain requirements. According to court papers seen by the Daily Mail, the two, who live in a $970,000 home in Houston, Texas, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in May.  That means the couple had to each pay $1,000 in fines, work 25 hours of community service, attend a parenting class, and are barred from Walton County, Florida.  The conditions all have to be met within a 12 month period and they must remain out of trouble otherwise they will be taken back to court and their case reopened.  Officers arrived on the beach last year to find their child being cared for by Good Samaritans at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. While authorities waited for paramedics to arrive, the couple made their way back to the spot and confessed to leaving their child there, police said at the time. Brian and Sara Wilkes were arrested last October after police responded to reports of a baby being left unattended on Miramar Beach Officers arrived on the beach last year to find their child being cared for by Good Samaritans, seen here holding the child, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa They both admitted they placed the baby under a tent for a nap, left with three other kids, went on a walk and 'lost track of time,' authorities said.  Sara, a regional president for US Heart and Vascular, and her husband, did not take their phones with them while they were away, surveillance footage showed.  The baby's vitals were normal and she was not in distress, police said.  The Florida Department of Children and Families responded to the scene and their other children were placed in state custody until relatives from Texas could arrive.  Major Dustin Cosson with the Walton County Sheriff's Office said the amount of time they left their child was 'way longer than what would be reasonable.'  He said he understands that babies are on a napping schedule, but that does not mean parents should leave them alone when they do so.  'That's all fine and dandy, but you don't just leave a baby at a house and then leave and go off to the store,' Cosson previously told ABC13.  'The baby could roll over and suffocate itself, or the wind could blow a towel over its face. There's no telling what could have happened.'  After initially both being charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, no further action is being carried out against them if they meet certain requirements Sara was named as part of Cardiovascular Business's 'Forty Under 40 Class of 2025' in April of last year He further emphasized that although beaches in the Sunshine State are family-friendly, parents still need to use common sense and remain vigilant.  'Yes, it's a bubble, but that doesn't mean as you cross over the county line or over the state line into Florida that we can just leave your common sense behind,' he said.  Sara was named as part of Cardiovascular Business's 'Forty Under 40 Class of 2025' in April of last year.  Sara, who appears to go by her maiden name Sommers professionally, holds an MBA and has 'created a more cost-effective and streamlined experience for patients' at US Heart and Vascular (USHV), according to Cardiovascular Business.  The company is a national provider of support services for independent cardiovascular physician practices.  Sara's been described as someone who 'not only improved the quality of care' for patients, but made sure to do so in a timely manner, according to the outlet.  The Daily Mail contacted their attorney for comment on the agreement with prosecutors.  No comments have so far been submitted. 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