# Police Break Car Window To Save Baby, Finds A Creepy Doll

- Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/news-opinion/true-crime/police-break-car-window-to-save-baby-finds-a-creepy-doll/
- Published: 2015-10-02T10:40:23+10:00
- Author: Clare Whitfield

## _Police in the West Midlands, U.K. were in for an unusual shock when they smashed through a car window to save what they thought was a baby locked in the car. _

**Instead, they found an oddly realistic doll, and a whole lot of bad press.**

It all happened at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, West Midlands, when a passerby
looking into a car window and saw what appeared to be a baby wrapped in a blanket
in the front seat. Only part of the infant’s head was visible, and when police were
called they assumed what they were looking at was a baby locked in a car. In fact,
they even had a couple of nurses take a look, and they agreed that it was a baby,
and in distress.

 mirror.co.uk

However, when police officers broke the window of the car they found that what they
thought was a baby was in fact a life-like doll belonging to 10-year-old Janaih 
Rattray who was at the hospital to visit her mother. She had left the doll wrapped
up on the front seat of her sister’s car before going inside.

With nobody around to explain the damage to the vehicle, police had no choice but
to leave a note asking Janaih’s sister Delesia to call police so they could explain.
She describes the moment she walked up to the car:

> _“When I went outside to the car I found the back window behind the driver’s seat
> had been smashed in and there was glass all over the seats. I thought it was weird,
> and then I found a note from police to ring them.”_

After police explained what had happened, Delesia was surprised that they had confused
the doll for a real baby, especially considering that it obviously wasn’t moving
and many aspects of it appear less than life-like.

[⌊Police break car window to save baby finds a creepy doll⌉⌊Police break car window
to save baby finds a creepy doll⌉[

mirror.co.uk

However, once the situation was explained in full, and the police offered to pay
for the damage to the car’s window, Delesia wasn’t that worried about the unusual
situation.

> _“I can understand why they broke into the car if they really thought there was
> a baby inside.”_

The doll in question, named Ryan by Janaih, was given to her by a family member,
and is a limited edition item. Although most would argue it’s very lifelike, as 
well as pretty creepy, it’s doesn’t seem real enough to warrant this kind of mixup.
But as police pointed out, when they arrived at the scene only a small portion of
the doll was visible, and what they saw certainly matched what they thought was 
a baby in distress.

In the end, although the police have copped some bad press for the incident, the
station stood by their officers.

> _“Two of my officers did the right thing when faced with what they genuinely believed
> was a baby, alone and critically ill in a locked car on the hospital’s car park.”_

Had they not acted, and had the realistic doll really been a baby in need to help,
this rather comedic situation could have had an entirely different outcome.

![author avatar](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/
12/clare_whitfield_profile.webp?quality=80&ssl=1)

 Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

 Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical
home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney,
she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school 
age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience
in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

 [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/) [  ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/)