From left to right: Rico Delk, Sarah Myers, and Elijah Delk (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation).
A 39-year-old woman in Tennessee has been arrested on a spate of felony charges for allegedly kidnapping her two biological children after beating her own mother — who is also the legal guardian of the children — so badly that the older woman was left unconscious.
Sarah Myers was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with one count of child neglect of a child under age 8, two counts of custodial interference, and one count of theft of a vehicle, all of which are felonies, authorities announced. The children, 1-year-old Rico Delk and 3-month-old Elijah Delk, were both found unharmed.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Metro Nashville Police Department on Wednesday evening issued an Endangered Child Alert for Rico and Elijah, stating that both children were “believed to be with their non-custodial mother, Sarah Myers.” Myers was believed to be traveling with the kids in a 1997 cream Lincoln Town Car with Tennessee license plates.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by Nashville NBC affiliate WSMV provided additional details about the allegations against Myers.
According to the report, Myers on Wednesday traveled to the home of her mother, Holly Featherman, in the Lincoln Town Car. Featherman is reportedly the legal custodian of both of her grandchildren.
At some point after arriving at her mother’s home, Myers allegedly “attacked her until she was rendered unconscious,” police reportedly wrote. Myers reportedly gathered her biological children and fled the area with them.
Several hours later, at about 11:30 p.m., police in Hermitage, Tennessee, reportedly received a call from a man requesting a welfare check at a townhouse in the area because Myers was there and reported to be suicidal. The man told police he knew Myers and that she had recently talked about ending her own life, even mentioning that she was in possession of “overdoses on prescription medication,” WSMV reported.
When police and emergency medical personnel arrived at the address, they reportedly found the older child alone inside the Lincoln parked outside the townhouse. As officers continued the search for Myers and Elijah, Nashville Fire Department medical personnel transported Rico to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital for an evaluation.
WSMV reported that police found Myers and Elijah inside a home on Old Fountain Place and promptly took her into custody. Police reportedly said that Myers gained access to the residence through a back door and, once inside, did not ever exit to check on her older child in the Lincoln.
Myeris is being held on $20,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court before Judge Jim Todd on Dec. 12, records show.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
