BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — A Benton County couple who attempted to sell their 2-month-old baby at a campground in exchange for beer and cash have entered plea deals, new court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Darien Urban, 22, and Shalene Ehlers, 21, were arrested Sept. 21, 2024 after witnesses at Hide Away Campground reported the couple had signed over their infant to a stranger.
Investigators recovered a handwritten contract signed by both parents stating they were “signing our rights over” to their baby boy for $1,000, with a disclaimer that there would be “no changing y’all two’s minds and to never contact again.” Witnesses also provided cellphone video showing the couple signing the document.
The affidavit states the situation began when Ehlers asked nearby campers for beer. A man later identified as Ricky Crawford reportedly offered alcohol in exchange for keeping the baby overnight. The child was then taken to another camper occupied by Cody Nathaniel Martin.
After reconsidering the deal, Urban and Ehlers returned and demanded $1,000 in addition to the beer in exchange for permanently surrendering the baby. They told investigators the agreement was videotaped to “make it legal,” and they planned to formalize it the following Monday.
Deputies from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the campground after receiving a report that the infant appeared to need medical attention. The baby was transported to a nearby hospital, where witnesses described a strong ammonia and fecal odor, along with severe diaper rash, blistering, and swelling.
Urban later pleaded guilty to attempted acceptance of compensation for adoption and was sentenced to three years in prison. His probation in an unrelated theft case was also revoked, resulting in an additional three-year prison sentence.
Ehlers pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and attempted acceptance of compensation for adoption. The judge deferred her plea and sentenced her to six years of state-supervised probation.
The baby was removed from the parents’ custody and placed under state protection.
- NMD Staff
News@NewMediaDetroit.com