NIAGARA FALLS—A police officer searching for suspects in a crime had to slam on his brakes to avoid running over a 1-year-old boy who ran into traffic in the 400 block of 17th Street late Friday.

Officer Joseph Palermo said that as he was driving in the 400 block of 17th Street shortly after 11 p. m., the boy— crying and wearing only T-shirt and diaper—darted from between parked cars.

The boy’s mother, Olivia L. Cunningham, 19, of 17th Street, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, police said, and Child Protective Services was contacted. Police said the mother dropped the boy off at a friend’s residence to run an errand and the boy ran out an open door.