Woman arrested after 2-year-old found inside suitcase on New Zealand bus
- A 2-year-old child was found alive inside a suitcase on a bus in Kaiwaka, New Zealand.
- A 27-year-old woman was arrested and charged with ill treatment and neglect of a child.
- The bus driver alerted authorities after noticing the suitcase moving.
A 27-year-old woman was arrested and charged after law enforcement in New Zealand said a toddler was found inside a suitcase on a bus on Sunday, August 3.
New Zealand Police arrived at a bus stop in Kaiwaka just before 1 p.m. local time, responding to a driver who saw the bag moving, according to a press release. The observation came after a passenger requested access to the luggage storage compartment.
The driver found a 2-year-old inside the suitcase. Detective Inspector Simon Harrison noted that "the little girl was reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed."
The child was taken to a hospital and underwent an evaluation.
'Could have been a far worse outcome'
The woman, whose identity officials did not disclose, was charged with ill treatment and neglect of a child, police stated. It's not immediately known if she was related to the child.
According to The Guardian, citing court documents, the woman was 60 miles north of Auckland when the toddler was found in the suitcase. She was present at North Shore District Court on Monday, August 4.
The bus company told the outlet that the police are investigating the incident. Detective Harrison praised the driver for their efforts.
"We would like to acknowledge and commend the bus driver, who noticed something wasn’t right and took immediate action, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome," Harrison said in the press release.
Kaiwaka is about 60 miles from Auckland.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.