He heard faint whimpering. That’s what the bus driver later told officers — a soft sound, almost like an animal, coming from one of the luggage compartments beneath the passenger cabin. When he unzipped the black suitcase, he recoiled in horror.
Inside, curled into a tight fetal position, was a 2-year-old girl. Alive. Barely.
The driver, who was operating a Jefferson Lines bus en route from Minneapolis to Chicago, had pulled over at a scheduled stop in Wisconsin when he noticed the noise. The suitcase had been stowed like any other — tagged, zipped, shoved next to backpacks and duffels. But what he found inside triggered an immediate emergency call to local authorities.
Police say the little girl had been packed into the bag by 31-year-old Jenna Schramek, a passenger on the bus, who has now been charged with attempted homicide. The child was her daughter.
The incident occurred in Milwaukee County, where stunned bystanders watched emergency workers extract the girl and rush her to the hospital. One eyewitness posted on Twitter, “I just watched a toddler be pulled from a suitcase. She was alive. This was not a movie. I can’t process this.”
A 2-year-old was found *alive* in a zipped suitcase under a bus. A mother is under arrest. This world is sickening.
The driver is a hero. No one knows how long the child was in there. Praying for her recovery.— @MooreForJustice (@MooreForJustice) August 2, 2025
Prosecutors say Schramek admitted to packing the toddler into the suitcase, “because she was being too loud and annoying.” Surveillance footage reportedly shows her dragging the suitcase toward the luggage bay while cradling a toy in her other hand.
A criminal complaint obtained by TMJ4 alleges the child was stuffed inside with no ventilation or padding — just clothing pressed against her face.
Doctors said the girl survived by mere inches — enough airflow from the zipper edges to avoid suffocation. Her temperature was dangerously low. Her oxygen levels, unstable. EMTs at the scene called it “a miracle.”
This is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever read. A 2-year-old girl. In a suitcase. ALIVE. The mom zipped her in and tossed her into a bus luggage bay. Thank God the driver noticed. This country needs to face its mental health crisis NOW.
— Olivia Monroe (@oliviamonroe_dc) August 2, 2025
According to court documents, Schramek initially denied knowing the child. But her story fell apart when police found the toddler’s name stitched inside her jacket, matching medical records that listed Schramek as her mother.
Officers also discovered a disturbing series of journal entries at Schramek’s home, in which she complained about her child “ruining everything” and fantasized about “getting peace again.”
She is now being held without bail. The District Attorney is pursuing charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, reckless endangerment, and child neglect.
News of the arrest has sparked outrage across social media. Parents across the country are demanding to know how no one else noticed — how a suitcase holding a living child passed through security checks, loading protocols, and multiple passengers without anyone speaking up.
“This is an institutional failure,” said child welfare advocate Terri Logan. “We rely on community vigilance and transport companies to uphold basic decency. This isn’t just about one mother. It’s about a system that didn’t see a baby in distress.”
I’m shaking. My daughter is 2. This story — this precious girl zipped into a suitcase — I cannot even imagine the trauma. Please hug your babies tonight.
— Jessica Lee (@MomOf3InWI) August 2, 2025
As of Monday, the child remains in protective custody, under observation at Children’s Wisconsin Hospital. A nurse involved in her care said the toddler is “responding well,” and has been asking for her favorite stuffed bunny.
Police say the child will not be returned to Schramek under any circumstance.
The bus driver, whose identity hasn’t been released, is being hailed as a hero. Jefferson Lines issued a statement praising his “quick thinking and compassion,” and confirmed new policies are being drafted to prevent any similar tragedy.
But online, the focus has shifted to the girl herself. Her survival is being called “divine” and “incomprehensible.” One viral TikTok shows a prayer circle forming at a local church, with a woman holding a sign reading, “Her breath is our miracle.”
A GoFundMe page launched by a Milwaukee foster family has already surpassed $70,000. The page describes the toddler as “bright-eyed, musical, and gentle” — and promises she’ll have “a home where she is cherished.”
Please donate if you can. This sweet baby girl deserves every chance to heal. No child should ever go through this. EVER.
We love you, little one. You are not alone.
gofundme.com/f/help-the-suitcase-bus-baby— The Rivera Family (@RiveraFostersWI) August 2, 2025
Jenna Schramek’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 12. Prosecutors say they’re considering additional charges after reviewing forensic evidence from her home and devices.
But for now, all eyes — and hearts — remain with the girl who emerged from darkness.
And breathed.