Two suspects are being held on a $1 million bond each after authorities in northern Independence County safely recovered a child abducted from South Carolina.
Circuit Judge Kimberly Edington set the high financial release conditions for Brandon Lee Britten, 31, and Sierra Dawn Britten, 28, following a probable cause hearing on Friday. The arrests on Wednesday afternoon came after Spartanburg County, South Carolina, law enforcement informed local deputies at around 3 p.m. that the missing female juvenile was likely in the area.
Independence County investigators located the child and apprehended both suspects within 15 minutes of receiving the notification, according to local authorities. The juvenile was transported to the Children’s Advocacy Center, where she underwent a medical evaluation and participated in a forensic interview. She was then placed at the Arkansas Sheriff’s Youth Ranch. Officials stated that she was reunited with her parents on Thursday morning.
Sheriff Shawn Stephens confirmed that deputies also executed a search warrant at the scene to collect evidence. The sheriff’s office is working closely with the FBI’s local field office on the case, with formal state charges and potential federal indictments under consideration.
Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the circumstances of the child’s initial abduction or the suspects’ connection to the victim.