Every day, police officers encounter some incredible challenges, but a West Virginia sergeant had to take on an entirely different role.

This photo of a St. Albans, West Virginia, police officer cradling a 14-month-old baby girl is touching the hearts of many on the Internet because of its heartwarming backstory.

West Virginia Police Dept.

According to the police report, Sgt. Philip Bass, pictured in the photo, was part of a group of officers who saved the baby early Monday morning, when Kroger grocery store employees heard her crying inside a locked bathroom in the store.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening. With my kids, I couldn’t imagine that happening to them,” Bass told reporters.

The initial call was over a shoplifting incident at the store, reported ABC News.

“They were stealing a Christmas tree, one of the employees came out and said, ‘Hey, we got a problem inside,’” Bass said.

Police said that officers found the 14-month-old in the bathroom with a woman they later identified as 39-year-old Donnyell Harrison.

“The lady let us in the bathroom and then we saw her, and this little baby, she was sitting in a buggy with a baby bottle of Dr. Pepper,” Bass said.

Cpt. James Agee, One of the other officers who responded to the scene,said that there were some “obvious signs of drugs” in the bathroom, including “a lot of pills visible.”

After arresting the woman, sergeant Bass went the extra mile and took care of the infant for several hours.

“Gonna have to be dad and take care of the child,” Bass said. “It’s really heartbreaking, especially for that baby.”

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