Baby in Stroller Rides New York Subway Alone for 60 Blocks

FILE—A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer securing the entrance of the 34 St. Penn Station subway station following a shooting incident in New York City on Nov. 9, 2015. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

The New York Police Department said a 1-year-old boy in a stroller rode alone on a Manhattan subway train for eight stops—or about 60 blocks—after the baby’s caretaker became ill.

The toddler traveled from the Upper West Side to Penn Station at around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, after the person looking after the child somehow exited the southbound “1” train at 96th Street, leaving the baby inside alone.

Officials said the child’s caregiver—a male friend of the family—suffered some sort of a medical episode and became disoriented, The New York Post reported.

The train pulled away and continued southbound, leaving the caretaker on the platform and the baby on board—all alone.

The 1-year-old child rode the Manhattan subway alone for eight stops in New York City on March 5, 2019. MTA

The baby was recovered at 34th St. Penn Station, unharmed.

The tot was reunited with his mother, according to NBC.

The caregiver was not charged.

Police declined to provide details on the man’s medical condition due to privacy laws, the Post reported.

Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Leaving Baby in Montana Woods

The incident recalls the case of an Oregon man who left a 5-month-old baby in the woods of western Montana.

The Missoulian reported that 32-year-old Francis Carlton Crowley, of Portland, pleaded guilty on Feb. 5 in Missoula District Court to criminal endangerment and child criminal endangerment, after leaving the baby under a pile of debris.

Francis Crowley. Missoula County Jail via AP

Based on some information from Crowley, officers eventually found his car in Lolo National Forest.

Later, a deputy and a Forest Service officer found the baby—cold, hungry, and covered in debris—on July 8.

“After more than 6 hours of searching on foot, a deputy heard the faint cry of a baby,” police said in a prior statement. “He followed the sound and found the baby alive, face down, buried under a pile of sticks and debris.”

“On a more personal level, we want to take a moment to thank everyone who has played a role in this, even the smallest. Law enforcement officers can have a dreary outlook on life at times. Calls come in and you see people at their absolute worst day after day. But over the weekend, out of so much darkness came a little light. A baby was found … alive,” the office said in the statement.

The office added: “For all of us at the sheriff’s office, this is what we call a miracle. For the officers who were present for this event, it’s especially hard knowing what this small baby endured in the last 24 hours. Sheriff McDermott would like to thank those who assisted in the search and those who called 911, helping first responders bring this baby to safety.”

It was estimated the boy had been left alone for at least nine hours.

Crowley said he left the baby after a car crash because he was very heavy.

Authorities cited by the Missoulian said the infant has been released from the hospital and is in protective custody.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.