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A 27-year-old woman has been arrested in New Zealand after a two-year-old girl was discovered inside a suitcase in a bus' luggage compartment on Sunday (August 3). The incident occurred during a scheduled stop in Kaiwaka, north of Auckland, when a bus driver noticed movement in the luggage area and opened the suitcase to find the toddler inside. Detective Inspector Simon Harrison reported that the child was very hot but appeared physically unharmed. She was taken to a hospital for further evaluation and remains in stable condition.
The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child and appeared in North Shore District Court on Monday (August 4). It is unclear if she is related to the child. The bus company, InterCity, confirmed that the incident involved one of its vehicles, which allows children under three to travel for free on an adult's lap.
Detective Harrison praised the bus driver for their quick response, stating, "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." Police are continuing their investigation, and further charges may be filed. Oranga Tamariki, New Zealand's child protection agency, has also been notified of the incident.