A 2-year-old girl was found in a suitcase stowed in the luggage compartment of a New Zealand bus on Sunday, prompting the arrest of a woman on child neglect charges, police confirmed.
The incident occurred during a scheduled stop in Kaiwaka, a settlement north of Auckland. According to Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, the bus driver opened the luggage area after a passenger requested access and noticed movement inside one of the bags. Inside, they found the toddler, who was reportedly very hot but otherwise physically unharmed.
It remains unclear how long the child was in the baggage compartment or what cities the bus was traveling between. The child was transported to a local hospital, where she remained under observation as of Sunday night.
Authorities charged the woman with ill-treatment or neglect of a child. Her name has not been released. She is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The bus company involved, InterCity, confirmed the event took place on one of its services. According to company policy, children under the age of three may travel free when seated on an adult’s lap. No charges are typically applied for such passengers.
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