Dad breaks window to fetch girl locked in day care

[May 02, 2012]  WESTPORT, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts dad says he smashed the window of a day care center to fetch his 3-year-old daughter, who'd been locked inside after staffers left for the day.

Keith Paquette says when he arrived at Westport Country Day School just after 5 p.m. Monday to pick up daughter Samantha Jo, the building was locked and no one was there.

He called his wife, and she called a teacher, who returned to the school.

They heard crying from inside, so Paquette broke a window to get to his daughter.

School officials told police they did a sweep of the building before leaving, and that Samantha Jo had been checked off on a list indicating she'd been picked up.

Police and state child welfare officials are investigating, and the Paquettes say they've found a new preschool.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.