Police officer finds baby in boiling hot car – smashes window but realizes he’s made a big mistake
In the past, we have discussed the situation in which parents go shopping and leave their children in the car if the temperature is high.
Leaving a child alone in a car isn’t just careless—it can be downright dangerous. In hot weather, a few minutes can be the difference between safety and tragedy. Prolonged exposure can lead to heatstroke, unconsciousness, or even death. It’s such a common and alarming issue during heatwaves that police officers are trained to stay alert for any signs of unattended children in parking lots.
Officer Jason Short of Keene, New Hampshire, knows this danger all too well. On a scorching day, while on patrol, he responded to a distressing call—someone had spotted what appeared to be a baby left alone in a car parked outside a Walmart. What he discovered next was both shocking and unforgettable.
But what happened next was something Officer Jason Short could never have imagined—even in his wildest dreams.
As soon as the call came in about the unattended infant, Jason sprang into action. There was no hesitation. In an interview with WMUR, he recalled, “I got there as fast as I could. I don’t even know how fast I was going—it was quick.”
When he pulled into the Walmart parking lot, his heart sank. Through the car window, he spotted what looked like a baby wrapped tightly in a blanket, tiny feet poking out just enough to be visible. The sun was unforgiving that day, and there was no telling how long the child had been trapped inside the sweltering vehicle.
Without a second thought, Jason grabbed his baton and shattered the window, determined to save a life.
Carefully, he lifted the limp figure from the backseat. But something didn’t feel right. The child’s skin had an eerie tone, almost lifelessly pale. Jason’s heart pounded in fear—was he already too late?
Within moments, a crowd began to gather around the scene, their faces etched with concern as Jason carefully laid the unresponsive figure on the pavement and began administering CPR. An ambulance was already on its way, sirens in the distance growing louder.
But then… something felt off.
As Jason worked, a strange sense of doubt crept in. The “infant” wasn’t reacting at all—no breath, no movement—and its skin, though eerily realistic, didn’t feel quite right.
And that’s when the truth hit him like a bolt of lightning:
It wasn’t a baby. It was a doll. A startlingly lifelike, hyper-realistic doll.
The crowd gasped as the realization spread. What had looked like a tragic emergency was actually an unfortunate misunderstanding.
Moments later, Carolynne Seiffer, the doll’s owner, returned from her shopping trip only to find a broken car window and a crowd gathered around her prized possession—Ainsley, a $2,000 reborn doll that she treats like a real child.
Speaking to WMUR, Carolynne Seiffer admitted, “I’ve been laughed at and embarrassed by all the fuss.”
What many didn’t realize, though, was that Ainsley—the hyper-realistic doll mistaken for a real baby—is part of something much deeper. According to the Washington Post, Carolynne owns over forty of these lifelike dolls, which she uses as a way to cope with the devastating loss of her son.
These incredibly realistic creations, known as reborn dolls, have become therapeutic tools for individuals navigating grief and loss. For Carolynne, they offer comfort in a way words simply can’t.
“No one can truly understand how another person chooses to cope with loss,” she shared quietly.
As for Officer Jason Short, once the truth came to light, he admits to feeling a bit embarrassed. But regret? Not even for a second.
“I would never assume it’s a doll,” he told WMUR. “In every situation, I’ll always treat it like it’s a child. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
In the end, while no life was in danger that day, Jason’s swift response was a powerful reminder: it’s always better to act on the side of caution—because if it had been real, his quick thinking could have made all the difference.
To cover the cost of repairing Caroline’s window, the Keene Police Department generously stepped in and paid the $300 bill.
Here’s a snippet from Inside Edition’s coverage of the unusual incident:
“Thankfully, no one was injured—though the situation certainly raised a few eyebrows.”
As you might expect, police strongly recommend keeping these dolls either in your car’s trunk or carrying them with you at all times—just to avoid any future confusion.
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