The ‘Law & Order: SVU’ star recalls

helping a lost child while speaking

with ET at Variety’s Power of Women event.
Mariska Hargitay says she feels like

she was meant to help the lost child who seemingly mistook the actress for a real police officer while she was filming season 25 of her hit NBC series last month.

In photos captured by paparazzi, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star was filming alongside her co-star, Ice-T, when she was approached by a little girl who had been separated from her mother and needed assistance finding her. The case of mistaken identity is understandable considering that Hargitay, 60, wears a police badge as part of Olivia Benson’s outfit.

“Mariska was filming with Ice-T and was interrupted by a little girl walking into the scene. She walked straight to Mariska,” an eyewitness told ET at the time. The eyewitness added that Hargitay paused filming after she was approached by the little girl and happily helped reunite her with her mother.