Charlotte child abuse case leads to manhunt after parents flee. Car found in Georgia.
Police have launched a fugitive investigation, looking for the parents of a 4-month-old boy severely abused in Charlotte.
Mildred Chestnut, 23, and Brandon Augustine, 24, face charges of felony intentional child abuse, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Maj. Luke Sell said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. CMPD has warrants for their arrest.
The child has severe and life-altering injuries, according to police. Officials did not provide the child’s name but said he was being cared for and in a safe place.
Last month, the parents’ faces were on missing person posters.
Augustine’s relative posted on social media the couple was missing and that their son was “safe and sound with family.” A Facebook page set up to discuss their disappearance indicated family members were in touch with CMPD and that Augustine and Chestnut had ties to both North Carolina, their home, and New Jersey.
On March 20, Atrium Hospital reported the infant was being treated for injuries from what his parents said was a car crash, Sell said. Officers quickly determined the injuries were not consistent with the reported “minor vehicle crash,” according to a CMPD news release. On March 21, police launched their investigation.
The parents fled from the hospital, and their car was found “obviously abandoned and intentionally hidden” in Austell, Georgia, on March 21, Sell said. Detectives believe the couple has been receiving assistance including money, shelter and rides.
“It is likely that the couple has fled North Carolina,” police wrote in Wednesday’s update.
Police reminded the public that any person providing assistance to Chestnut and Augustine is subject to criminal charges, including aiding and abetting, and accessory after the fact of a felony.
“It’s time to do right by your child,” Sell said. “We’re just asking them to come do the right thing, turn themselves in.”
This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 2:55 PM.
