Toddler girl rescued after being trapped in gun safe

Child was ‘accidentally’ locked in gun safe by her 3-year-old brother, authorities said

SANTA CLARA » A toddler girl was “accidentally” locked in a gun safe for a short time before being rescued by firefighters Monday, authorities said.

Crews were called about 12:20 p.m. to a home on Franciscan Court after the 18-month-old girl was trapped in the safe by her 3-year-old brother, Santa Clara police Lt. Dan Moreno said.

Santa Clara Fire Department rescuers were initially slowed because the safe’s combination was not immediately known, nor were the instructions to the safe available. But by 1 p.m., the fire department tweeted that the child was rescued, “a little shaken up but unharmed.”

Moreno said an adult nanny was occupied with another child when the two got into a bedroom closet where the gun safe was ajar. The toddler got in, and her older brother reportedly shut the door.

The children’s mother was summoned to the home and got the safe combination to the rescue personnel, Moreno said.

Moreno said there were no guns inside the safe when the child was inside, and that she did not need any medical treatment.

He said that the safe had “big holes” in the back, so it was not airtight. Police are treating the case as an accident and do not have plans for any further investigation.

“It was purely accidental. There doesn’t appear to be any criminal liability at all,” Moreno said.