A horrible confusion played out overnight near Niagra Falls.
A family who were staying at the Howard Johnson Hotel called hotel security after their five-month-old was locked in the room safe.
Once released the family left with the child.
But, hotel staff later contacted police who initiated a state-wide search for the family.
The New Jersey family eventually contacted the Niagara Regional Police Service from Markham, Ontario, where they were staying with friends.
The family was unaware of the attention they had received and were cooperative with investigators from the Child Abuse Unit, police said.
Hotel security were called to a hotel room on Tuesday where a tiny baby, less than a year old, was found locked inside the safe in a cupboard.
Staff at the hotel called upon a nearby maintenance worker who was able to free the infant without any further complications.
According to the police report, the baby was “alert and crying”, and appeared to have suffered no major injuries.
It is believed that the family of the child were the ones who alerted the staff to the presence of the baby, but left before the police was notified.
A local police officer commented that the family seemed “appropriately distressed” about the situation, which is why they were not initially suspicious.
“The family members were acting appropriately to the situation,” he said. “They were quite distressed and sought help from the staff.”
Local police units are currently beginning a state-wide search in an attempt to trace and locate the parents of the infant.
According to the hotel records, the family are believed to be from Brooklyn, New York, but border security have confirmed that the car they were travelling in has not crossed back over into the US.
The baby is believed to be around six months old.
