Woman charged after toddler is found in suitcase in New Zealand bus' luggage compartment

A woman has been charged with child neglect in New Zealand after a 2-year-old girl was found inside a suitcase in a bus' luggage compartment Sunday, police said

A woman has been charged with child neglect in New Zealand after a 2-year-old girl was found inside a suitcase in a bus' luggage compartment Sunday, police said.

The bus driver made the discovery during a scheduled stop in Kaiwaka, a Northland Region town, New Zealand Police Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said in a statement.

The suspect asked to access the compartment during the stop, said Harrison, acting crime manager for the Auckland-adjacent district of Waitematā.

"The driver became concerned when he noticed the bag moving," he said. "When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl."

The toddler was taken to a hospital for an "extensive medical assessment" and was "reported to be very hot, but otherwise appeared physically unharmed," Harrison said.