MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A woman who says she babysat the missing 11-month-old child from Myrtle Beach feels like she was fooled by the baby’s mother.
The woman, who did not want to release her name, says the news of the baby missing has had her awake for days.
“Since the day before yesterday I have not slept a wink,” she explains. “I want to know where this baby is.”
Myrtle Beach police say the 11-month-old child was reported missing Wednesday but hasn’t been seen since July. Investigators with the Myrtle Beach Police Department say a search warrant was served around 7 p.m. Thursday night at a home on 3rd Avenue South. Police K9 crews were at the home and investigators could be seen walking in and out of the home with cameras.
The mother of the missing child was taken into police custody Friday morning, according to Myrtle Beach Police Captain Joey Crosby. The woman’s name is not being released because she had not been formally charged nor have warrants been served, says Capt. Crosby.
Capt. Crosby could not comment on where the mother was located, nor could he give any further information about the missing baby.
The child’s babysitter, who says she watched the child about four or five times, says she wishes now that she would have paid more attention to any red flags.
“If I thought something was going to happen to her, I would have watched that baby every day,” she says. “I swear I would have watched that baby every day.”
The babysitter lived next to the mother and says the young woman knocked on the sitter’s door quite often.
“She asked me things. How to cook, how to season things, what to wear, how to talk to her boyfriend. She always asked me for advice,” the woman describes.
The sitter says the child’s mother had a live-in boyfriend and the babysitter feels she was misled by the duo.
“I knew that they were a young couple, that they were struggling, I feel like they fooled me,” she describes. The woman says she hopes the police department dedicates as many resources to finding the baby as possible.
“I just really hope that this doesn’t go away in two days. That they aggressively look for that child,” she urges.
News13 was allowed into the home that Myrtle Beach police searched in connection with the missing child. The property manager allowed cameras in the unit to film the scene officers would have photographed and searched for any clue to the baby’s whereabouts. The video above (or click here) shows what police saw inside the home.
Empty wine bottles, liquor bottles and dishes littered the kitchen. An open bottle of bleach was sitting next to the sink. Sheets were missing from the beds and open kitchen cabinets showed baby formula and snacks.
Myrtle Beach police say the mother was detained in Columbia and transported back to Myrtle Beach jail Friday afternoon. Police have not released formal charges for the mother.
