Child endangerment arrest related to sex crimes case

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - Baldwin County Deputies arrested the aunt of missing teen Brittney Wood, 33-year-old Wendy Wood Holland, for one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

Officials say the arrest is related to the ongoing sex abuse case that resulted in five previous arrests, four of which were also relatives of the missing teen.

PHOTOS: Baldwin Co. sex crimes investigation

The other arrests surrounding this investigation include:

• 20-year-old Donald Holland, Jr. on charges on incest, rape, and sex abuse
• relative 21-year-old Derek Wood on charges of second degree rape and sodomy
• relative Dustin Kent charges of rape and sodomy
• relative Randall Scott Wood on charges of second degree sexual abuse, second degree sodomy, and incest
• 48-year-old family friend William Bonny Brownlee on charges of sodomy and sexual abuse.

Although all of the suspects appear to know missing 19-year-old Brittney Wood, officials say there is no proof the two cases arerelated.

Authorities said Wood was last seen May 30 heading to Baldwin County and the Styx River area with her uncle, Donald Holland, Sr., who committed suicide shortly after her disappearance.

Brittney’s mother said she believes the sex abuse case is related to her daughter’s disappearance.

“Donnie was the last person she was known to be with. He shoots himself, and then everybody around Donnie goes to jail,” said Chessie Wood.

“Both police departments keep telling us there is no connection but we know that the timeline is together; the time of the arrest and the time of her disappearance,” said Brittney’s stepmother Stephanie Hanke.

While it remains unclear just how far this sex abuse case goes, investigators are calling it one of the worst of its kind in Baldwin County and expect to make more arrests.