But detectives later determined the Newark woman's story was made up and was part of an ongoing domestic dispute.
The woman initially told police that she left her daughter in the back seat of a livery car at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road at around 11:45 p.m. Thursday.
She said she went into a store, and when she came out, the black Lincoln Town Car was gone.
Police searched overnight for the girl, stopping black livery cars and asking dispatchers to check with their drivers.
After hours of questioning, detectives realized the woman's claims were untrue. Her daughter was located safe at another home.