Police: 2-year-old reported missing at Costco store in Gaithersburg found

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Montgomery County police say a 2-year-old child has been located after her mother reported her missing after shopping at a Costco store in Gaithersburg.

Police say at around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, the mother called police and told them that she had left her daughter in the car in the parking lot as she ran into the store. When she returned to the vehicle, the young girl was missing.

Police responded to the Costco store in the 800 block of Russell Avenue and searched the store, parking lots and and nearby car dealerships under the assumption that the child may have been abducted or kidnapped. But about an hour later, the girl was found safe at the family's apartment.

"By my estimation, I don't think the child would have walked home given where the residence is, but at this point, it's very early so we have look backwards with detectives to try to put all the pieces together," said Montgomery County Police Commander Dinesh Patil.

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