A 2-year-old girl was found alive inside a suitcase stashed in the luggage compartment of a bus in New Zealand, triggering a child neglect charge against a woman traveling on board. The shocking discovery took place during a scheduled stop in the town of Kaiwaka, north of Auckland, when a passenger requested access to the baggage hold. The bus driver reportedly noticed the suitcase moving and opened it—finding the young girl inside, according to Detective Inspector Simon Harrison. The child was very hot but otherwise appeared physically unharmed, Harrison added in a statement. The child was taken to a nearby hospital and remained there as of Sunday night. Officials have not detailed how long the toddler had been inside the suitcase, nor which cities the bus had traveled between. A woman was arrested at the scene and charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child. Her identity has not been disclosed, and she is expected to appear in court Monday. Bus company InterCity confirmed the incident involved one of its vehicles. On its website, the company notes that children under 3 ride free if seated on an adult’s lap.
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