According to reports this morning, the child’s parents informed police that the baby had been locked inside the safe by a sibling during a game of hide-and-seek.
Mystery surrounded the bizarre story, in which a member of Howard Johnson Hotel staff in Niagara Falls was called to a room to free the baby. Once the child was freed, the parents took the child and left the hotel before police could be notified.
Police then sent out an appeal for the parents to come forward as part of an investigation into the incident, with the story going viral around the world.
According to a new report issued by investigating police, the family – from New Jersey – got in touch with them to explain what had actually happened in the hotel room.
“The family was unaware of all the attention they had received and were very cooperative with investigator from the Child Abuse Unit,” they said in the statement.
They went on to confirm that the child, who is said to be in good health, was accidentally locked into the safe during a game of hide-and-seek gone awry.
The investigation has now been closed.
