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Toddler left at corn maze wasn't reported missing till next day

WEST JORDAN, Utah -- Police say a 3-year-old boy spent the night in child welfare custody after he got lost at a Utah corn maze.

Police Sgt. Joe Monson said Tuesday the child was apparently left behind Monday night while visiting the Crazy Corn Maze in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan with a large family group. Police say the child's family didn't realize he was missing until the next morning.

Monson says the boy was cold and frightened but unhurt when a Good Samaritan found him at the maze Monday evening and brought him to staff there. According to staff at the Crazy Corn Maze, the boy was emotional, but finally calmed down when a West Jordan officer put a movie on her laptop for the child, reports CBS affiliate KUTV.

Staffers called on a bullhorn and searched for his family but couldn't find anyone until his mother called police Tuesday morning. They reported the child was missing and they believe they left him at the corn maze, KUTV reports.

Monson says the mother later arrived at the police station with about 10 children.

"Sounds like this is a dwelling with multiple families and a lot of children living in the same home," Monson told the station.

The boy is expected to be reunited with his family.

Monson says it wasn't immediately clear how the child's disappearance went undetected, but police are investigating whether any criminal charges are warranted.

"The fact that it took so long for them to realize the child was missing -- was it purely an accident? What where the circumstances? These are all questions [investigators] want to ask."

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