Report of 'dead infant' was actually life-like doll

Police say what appeared to be a dead infant found outside a park in Queens has turned out to be a realistic-looking doll.

A runner spotted what she thought was a baby shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday in a grassy area outside Crocheron Park in the Bayside neighborhood and called 911.

Police initially reported that a 3-month-old baby was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives descended on the park in droves to look for evidence.

One neighbor told FOX 5 News that as many as 200 officers were canvassing the park, looking for evidence. A crime scene tent was set up and the 'baby' was even zipped up in a body bag.

But police say a closer look revealed that the baby was, in fact, a doll or prop.

They say the doll was wearing a diaper and had bruising suggestive of having once been a living infant.

In a statement, a spokesman for the NYPD said:

"Police responding to 911 about what initially appeared to a deceased infant that may have been a homicide victim worked first and foremost to preserve and protect the potential crime scene, and gather evidence so any perpetrator could be apprehended. Thankfully, it turned out to be some sort of prop. The investigation is ongoing."

With the Associated Press.