(The following appeared on the KNSD website on April 9.)
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Sheriff’s deputies were called to a North County train station after a conductor discovered two children alone on an Amtrak train.
It happened Tuesday around 12:30 p.m. in Oceanside.
According to officials, the children’s mother jumped off the train and went to look for her tickets, which she said she thought she left on a bench. Her 9-month-old and 4-year-old remained on the train, and she did not inform the conductor she was leaving them behind.
The train left the station shortly after she jumped off, and soon after, the conductor discovered the children. He immediately contacted the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
The mother informed Amtrak officials that her children were on the train alone, according to officials.
When the train arrived at the Solana Beach station, deputies were waiting. They took the children into their temporary custody until the parents arrived.
The mother and father, who is a Marine, were reunited with their children at the train station in Solana Beach. No charges will be filed, according to investigators.
The incident caused the train to be delayed by one hour.
The family said they were headed to the airport to catch a flight to Chicago.