According to reports, the woman entered the shop carrying a baby capsule, with the child’s grandmother, on Wednesday afternoon.
Witnesses say that the mum set her baby down on the floor before engaging in an argument with the grandmother.
Both adults then left the store to continue their argument in the car park, leaving the child behind on its own for several minutes.
Customers and employees in the Hastings store grew concerned when the mum didn’t return, and are said to have refused to hand the baby back over to her when she eventually came back.
Speaking after the incident, Sergeant Glen Yule said: “There was some confusion in the store about the mother’s intentions, and some customers became concerned and took it upon themselves to keep the baby safe.”
“The mother made some unfortunate comments that may have been misconstrued,” he added.
One customer claims to have overheard the mum saying that she “didn’t even want” the baby.
Police were then called to the scene, and while the child was returned to the mother’s care, it has been confirmed that a referral will be made to Child, Youth and Family services.
