MILWAUKEE, Wis. —  Milwaukee police were investigating how a 1-year-old asthmatic was left in a locked-up day care van overnight in the cold, MyFoxMilwaukee.com reports.

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The van was supposed to drop off Zakia Goff at her home at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, where her mother was waiting to meet her after working second shift at her job.

“I was just praying to God, like ‘Please God, bring my baby back,’” the toddler’s mother, Denise Lindsey, said.

After waiting outside for the van and then calling relatives, emergency contacts and the Sunrise to Sunset day care, which was closed, Lindsey called 911 at midnight.

Police arrived at the parking lot at 12:30 a.m. and broke open the locked gate to reach the van, where they found the child asleep in her booster seat.

“She could have frozen because it’s really cold outside,” said Lindsey, adding that Zakia is an asthmatic who takes medication and uses a breathing machine.

Day care personnel declined to comment on the incident.