Latest news with #SQ
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Police seek witnesses to hit-and-run collision that killed motorcyclist in Montreal
Quebec provincial police (SQ) are searching for witnesses to a fatal hit-and-run where a motorcyclist was killed on a highway in Montreal. Police believe that a vehicle struck the rider after he was thrown from his bike after colliding with a concrete wall on June 6 at around 9:45 p.m. on Highway 15 northbound just before the Turcot Interchange (exit 63). 'The investigation suggests that the motorcyclist was thrown into the opposite [southbond] lane and was then struck by a vehicle, leaving debris on the road,' the SQ said in a news release. 'However, the driver of that vehicle did not remain at the scene.' The man in his 20s was unconscious when transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 'Investigators are seeking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the incident, particularly the occupant(s) of the vehicle involved in the incident,' the SQ said. Those with information on the crash are asked to call 1-800-659-4264.
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
Claire Bell disappearance: A timeline of the four-day search
The disappearance of three-year-old Claire Bell from Montreal on Sunday sparked a frantic four-day search that stretched across two provinces and captured national attention. Claire was found alive near a highway in eastern Ontario nearly 72 hours later — alone, conscious, and able to speak. The Sûreté du Québec and Ontario Provincial Police have credited public tips and drone surveillance for helping locate the child. Here's how the search unfolded. Sunday — Last seen in LaSalle Claire was last seen at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday in the borough of LaSalle, near Newman Blvd., with her mother and pet Chihuahua. Later that day, just after 3:30 p.m., her mother, 34-year-old Rachel Todd, reported Claire missing at a fireworks shop in Coteau-du-Lac, Que. The SQ launched an investigation, set up a command post near the fireworks shop, and began searching around Todd's apartment building in LaSalle. That same morning, Todd uploaded a video to her TikTok account. The account handle does not include her name. In the video, Todd is holding Claire in her arms. Addressing the camera, she says: 'You try that again and it's going to get ugly.' The clip was captioned: 'Have you ever faced a mother who has nothing left to lose?' The video was posted just before Claire was last seen in LaSalle. Monday — A grim discovery and an arrest The search intensified on Monday, with growing media attention and rising speculation online. In the afternoon, officers discovered the body of a Chihuahua along the highway, about 10 kilometres from the fireworks store where Claire's mother had reported her missing. The dog matched the description of the Chihuahua seen with Claire and her mother the day she disappeared. Search crews continued combing wooded areas and grassy ditches near Highway 20 near Coteau-du-Lac. As the day progressed, a major development came when police arrested Todd and charged her with child abandonment. She was questioned by investigators from the SQ's major crimes division. Officers said the investigation remained active and that further charges were possible. Meanwhile, members of the public and media had discovered Todd's social media posts. By Monday night, thousands had viewed her TikTok account. According to Todd's TikTok videos, she and Claire's father were once together but appear to have since separated. Tuesday — The search expands The search operation had widened across southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. Helicopters, drones and ground teams were deployed to search a wide swath of territory. News of the mother's arrest made headlines Tuesday morning. Throughout the day, Claire's father, 35-year-old Matt Bell, shared several posts on Instagram and Facebook appealing to residents in Vaudreuil and nearby towns to check their home surveillance systems and dashcams. He declined to speak to the media, but shared widely circulated images of his daughter. Wednesday — Search narrows in Ontario Police said Claire had been seen on Sunday afternoon — around 2 p.m. — in the area the region surrounding Casselman and St-Albert, Ont. Investigators also appealed to the public for help locating a potential witness in the case, a woman who works and lives on a farm somewhere in southeastern Ontario or southwestern Quebec. The SQ and OPP concentrated efforts on rural areas near Highway 417 and deployed additional resources, including drones. Wednesday afternoon — Claire is found Shortly after 2 p.m., a drone operated by the OPP spotted Claire alone in a field outside St-Albert, not far from the highway. Officers reached her soon after, police later confirmed. Claire was conscious, able to speak, and appeared to be in stable condition. She was taken to hospital for a medical evaluation. Police informed the media of her discovery at around 3:40 p.m. At a joint press briefing later that evening, police confirmed that public tips were key to the outcome. However, they declined to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding Claire's disappearance, saying the investigation remains ongoing. Shortly after the the discovery of Claire was announced, the toddler's father, Matt Bell, posted a brief message on Instagram: 'Thank you everyone. Please allow me and my family to take this time with our girl.' This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 7:04 AM.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Quebec toddler found alive and well after intensive 4-day search, police say
Claire Bell, the three-year-old missing since Sunday, was found alive and well in Ontario on Wednesday, police announced during an evening news conference hours later. "This is why we are police," said Sûreté du Québec Capt. Benoît Richard, expressing the joy in finding the little girl safe after deploying every effort to find her. "Now we exhale as one, knowing she is safe," said acting Staff Sgt. Shaun Cameron with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The officers declined to provide details on her health, but said she is doing well. Police say there are still few details they can release as the investigation is ongoing, but it was a drone that spotted Claire by the side of Highway 417, near St-Albert, Ont., about 150 kilometres west of Montreal, just after 2 p.m., according to Quebec provincial police. OPP found the girl. She was alone but seemed healthy, police say. She is now being cared for in hospital and family of the girl are expected there as well, Richard said. "Obviously we're relieved she was found," SQ spokesperson Éloïse Cossette told reporters earlier in the day, soon after Claire was found. "This is the best possible outcome." She'd said police were taking care of her and ensuring she had food and water. It was the best-case-scenario end to a search that had included up to 200 officers and trained volunteers, police on horseback, a helicopter and ATVs. Richard said along with SQ officers and investigators, local police services throughout Quebec assisted in the search. Cameron said several detachments of the OPP were involved, as well as air support, the canine unit and others. Both Cameron and Richard thanked staff as well as the public for following the search closely online. "Officers would not have located the little girl without critical information from the public," Cameron said, adding this case is a prime example of how tips can help "lead us to a positive outcome." WATCH | Police explain how Claire was found: Quebec Premier François Legault took to X soon after the little girl was found, thanking the SQ and their partners "who worked tirelessly to find her." He also thanked the OPP for assisting. "What a relief and joy to learn that little Claire Bell has been found safe and sound," he wrote. "I also want to acknowledge the contribution of all those who provided information to the police, enabling them to find the little girl alive." The three-year-old was reported missing on Sunday, west of Montreal. Searchers had combed fields and searched buildings for three days in the hope of finding Claire. Initially, the search focused on a wide swath around Coteau-du-Lac, Que., where Claire's mother had been on Sunday. As the search continued, however, police widened their net. Both the SQ and OPP said Wednesday there were reported sightings of the child in Ontario. The SQ also said they had located a witness who spoke to Claire's mother on a farm in the Montérégie region, near the Ontario border, on Sunday. Mother charged with child abandonment Claire's mother, Rachel-Ella Todd, 34, was arrested on Monday and charged with child abandonment. In handcuffs and a dark red T-shirt, she made a brief appearance at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse on Wednesday. She remains in custody and is scheduled to appear again June 20. Claire had last been seen at her residence near Newman Avenue in Montreal's LaSalle borough Sunday morning at around 9:45 a.m. ET. The SQ said Claire's mother reported her missing a few hours later at a store in Coteau-du-Lac, about 50 kilometres west of Montreal. An employee of the store said the woman drove her car into the parking lot and ran into the store in a panic. The SQ's Cossette said investigators had received hundreds of tips for the case by early Wednesday. The search efforts had previously focused on areas near the junction of highways 30 and 20 as well as areas near Highway 40, west of the island of Montreal — an area police said is difficult to access due to dense vegetation. According to Radio-Canada sources, Todd didn't seem lucid and made confused remarks when she met with investigators. Sources also told Radio-Canada an analysis of Todd's phone revealed searches for children's funeral urns, as was first reported by the Journal de Montréal on Tuesday. A video posted by Todd in the hours before Claire's disappearance has surfaced on TikTok. Radio-Canada has confirmed the account belongs to her. In the short video, Todd is holding Claire and speaks into the camera saying: "You try that again and this is going to get ugly." The caption reads: "Have you come up against a mother with nothing to lose????" CBC does not know the context in which the video was filmed. Quebec provincial police said they were not commenting on the video. The charge against Todd alleges that she abandoned her daughter and put her life and health in danger. If found guilty, the maximum sentence is five years in prison. On Monday evening, police announced they had found a dead brown Chihuahua around Highway 30 in the Vaudreuil-Dorion area. The dog matched the description of the one thought to be with the girl when she was last seen. As of Tuesday evening, police were still working to confirm that it's the same dog. If you're affected by the details in this story, you can find mental health support resources in your province or territory.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Man, 44, arrested after allegedly pointing gun at driver on highway
A man from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., is facing charges after allegedly pointing a firearm at someone while driving on a major highway south of Montreal. Candiac highway patrol officers arrested a 44-year-old man at his home. A motorist contacted police on Monday, saying another driver pointed a gun at him at around 2 p.m. in Saint-Constant, according to a Quebec provincial police (SQ) news release. The victim was travelling on Highway 30 westbound near Highway 730. Police located and searched the suspected vehicle, seizing an air gun. 'The suspect was then interviewed by investigators and appeared by videoconference at the Longueuil courthouse on June 17,' said the SQ. 'He remains in custody pending further proceedings.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Missing Montreal toddler seen in Ontario: SQ
Missing Montreal toddler seen in Ontario: SQ A missing Montreal toddler was seen alive on Sunday afternoon in Ontario, says Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Éloïse Cossette.
