Latest news with #missingchild
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Mom of missing Montreal toddler ‘in great distress,' will return to court for bail hearing in July
A three-year-old Montreal girl seen in St. Albert, Ont. moments after being found following a four-day search on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Courtesy/Noovo Info) A bail hearing has been scheduled for next month for the mother of a three-year-old Montreal girl who was missing for three days before being found on an Ontario highway. The toddler was found Wednesday on the side of Highway 417 near St. Albert, Ont. after her mother reported her missing on Sunday. An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) drone spotted her alone after police believe she spent the entire time all by herself with no food or water. The girl's mother appeared in court again on Friday at the Valleyfield courthouse after she was arrested by Quebec provincial police Monday evening and charged with one count of child abandonment. The Crown prosecutor requested and was granted a publication ban to protect the young girl's identity. As such, the name of the girl's mother, or anything else that would identify her, cannot be published. The Crown is opposing her release from custody. A judge scheduled a two-day bail hearing on July 3 at the Valleyfield courthouse as the prosecution waits to receive more evidence from police. The accused mother was remanded into custody at the Leclerc detention centre for women in Laval and was ordered not to communicate with the victim or her father. Missing Montreal toddler A screenshot of a TikTok video of a mother and her child. The mother has been charged with one count of child abandonment after the girl went missing for three days. (Source: Noovo Info/TikTok) No new charges were laid on Friday. Her lawyer, Olivier Béliveau, told Noovo Info that he has not requested a psychiatric evaluation for his client at this time. Béliveau described her as a 'woman who is in great distress' and that she was extremely relieved when she learned that her daughter had been found on Wednesday. With files from CTV News' Olivia O'Malley and Noovo Info - This is a developing story that will be updated.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mother of Quebec toddler found earlier this week 'needs help,' lawyer says
The lawyer for the mother of a three-year-old girl who was found earlier this week alone in an Ontario field said Friday that his client is unwell. The mother appeared in court briefly while lawyers set a new date for her bail hearing and a judge authorized a publication ban on the case. "We have a person here who is living with immense distress. This is someone who needs help," said Olivier Béliveau, the lawyer. The mother cannot be named due to a publication ban that now protects the identity of her daughter, the three-year-old who went missing last Sunday and was found three days later after an intensive search. The mother was "extremely relieved" when news reached her that her daughter was safe, Béliveau said. She has been charged with child abandonment, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison. Defence lawyers intend to present a bail plan for the mother that would see her receive "support and get her help," Béliveau added. He said the defence was not seeking a psychiatric evaluation, for now. Lili Prévost-Gravel, the Crown prosecutor, said the prosecution remains opposed to the mother's release on the grounds that it is not in the public interest. "She can receive care in the infirmary of the detention centre. That's a right she has as an inmate," Prévost-Gravel said. Prosecutors were continuing to analyze the evidence, she said. More charges could be brought against the mother in the future. The toddler was found on Wednesday when an Ontario Provincial Police drone spotted her by the side of Highway 417, near St-Albert, Ont., about 150 kilometres west of Montreal. It was the best-case-scenario end to a four-day search that had included up to 200 officers and trained volunteers, police on horseback, a helicopter and ATVs. The girl had last been seen in Montreal's LaSalle borough on Sunday morning. Her mother reported her missing a few hours later at a store in Coteau-du-Lac, about 50 kilometres west of Montreal. The case will return to court in July for a bail hearing.
CBC
6 hours ago
- CBC
Mother of Quebec toddler found earlier this week 'needs help,' lawyer says
The lawyer for the mother of a three-year-old girl who was found earlier this week alone in an Ontario field said Friday that his client is unwell. The mother appeared in court briefly while lawyers set a new date for her bail hearing and a judge authorized a publication ban on the case. "We have a person here who is living with immense distress. This is someone who needs help," said Olivier Béliveau, the lawyer. The mother cannot be named due to a publication ban that now protects the identity of her daughter, the three-year-old who went missing last Sunday and was found three days later after an intensive search. The mother was "extremely relieved" when news reached her that her daughter was safe, Béliveau said. She has been charged with child abandonment, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison. Defence lawyers intend to present a bail plan for the mother that would see her receive "support and get her help," Béliveau added. He said the defence was not seeking a psychiatric evaluation, for now. Lili Prévost-Gravel, the Crown prosecutor, said the prosecution remains opposed to the mother's release on the grounds that it is not in the public interest. "She can receive care in the infirmary of the detention centre. That's a right she has as an inmate," Prévost-Gravel said. Prosecutors were continuing to analyze the evidence, she said. More charges could be brought against the mother in the future. The toddler was found on Wednesday when an Ontario Provincial Police drone spotted her by the side of Highway 417, near St-Albert, Ont., about 150 kilometres west of Montreal. It was the best-case-scenario end to a four-day search that had included up to 200 officers and trained volunteers, police on horseback, a helicopter and ATVs. The girl had last been seen in Montreal's LaSalle borough on Sunday morning. Her mother reported her missing a few hours later at a store in Coteau-du-Lac, about 50 kilometres west of Montreal.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Witness who encountered mom of missing Montreal toddler speaks out
Claire Bell, 3, seen here moments after being found following a four-day search. (Source: Courtesy/Noovo Info) The mother of a three-year-old Montreal girl who was found alive after going missing for four days pulled up to a farm in eastern Ontario the day she reported her daughter missing and was 'confused' and 'rambling,' according to witnesses. Noovo Info spoke with one of them, who called 911 after later learning that the toddler was the subject of a vast search operation spanning two provinces. The witness and his mother encountered the girl's mother, 34-year-old Rachel-Ella Todd, Sunday when she drove up to their farm in St. Albert, Ont. and acted in a strange manner, he said. The witness spoke to Noovo Info on the condition of anonymity because of recent criticism of his family in recent days on social media. Their farm is about two kilometres from the location where the missing child was found Wednesday afternoon alone on the side of Highway 417 after being spotted by an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) drone. The witness said he didn't pay much attention to the mother's behaviour, adding that he sometimes encounters 'odd people.' It was only several days later — Wednesday morning — that the witness contacted police after seeing a post circulating on Facebook about the missing child and her mother. 'We don't spend our days in front of the television,' he said in an interview. missing montreal girl People gather to watch police from the Ontario Provincial Police and Surete du Quebec brief the media on the discovery of a three-year-old girl after she went missing on Sunday, in St. Albert, Ont., Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) Police announced Wednesday morning that they had spoken to a farmer, describing her as an important witness in the case. That interview with police was crucial in officers finding the child on the side the highway hours later. 'There should have been an Amber Alert,' witness says The witness said Thursday that authorities should have issued an Amber Alert to help locate the child sooner. 'There should have been an Amber Alert for Quebec and Ontario. We would have acted much faster! We don't care about the criteria, they should have issued it,' he said. SQ search missing girl Quebec provincial police officers seen during a search for a missing three-year-old girl, who was found in Ontario on June 19, 2025. (CTV News) There have been several comments on social media about his and his mother's involvement in the case, he said, with some calling him a hero, while others argue he didn't act quickly enough. He emphasizes, however, that the important thing for him and his mother is that the child was found safe and sound. Quebec provincial police have previously said the case didn't warrant an Amber Alert since it does not meet the necessary criteria of suspected abduction. An Amber Alert is only issued when all three of the following criteria are met: The police have reason to believe that the missing child (someone under 18 years of age) has been abducted; The police have reason to believe that the physical safety or the life of the child is in serious danger; The police have information that may help locate the child, the suspect and/or the suspect's vehicle. Capt. Benoit Richard of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in an interview Thursday that after reviewing every aspect of the child's disappearance, an Amber Alert was not the right call. 'The criteria was not met,' he said, adding that there was a lot of information already being shared in the news media, which ultimately led police to the girl in Ontario. Police believe child was alone the entire time According the investigation, investigators believe the young child was dropped off on the side of the road and left there, leaving police — and the public — wondering how she managed to survive with no food or water. 'For somebody that's been missing like that, a young child, a three-year-old, it's my first time, and I've been on the force for 32 years,' Richard said. Benoit Richard Captain Benoit Richard of the Surete du Quebec speaks to media after a three-year-old girl was found alive, in St. Albert, Ont., Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press) When the officer rescued her on Highway 417, he handed her pieces of mango and some Gatorade he had packed for himself to snack on during the search as it entered its fourth day Wednesday. 'She's still in the hospital. She's with her family. She's doing well, considering that she's been three days outside. She's dehydrated, but she's doing fine,' Richard said about the girl. The investigation is ongoing and police could recommend the Crown lay additional charges against the mother, but for now, police are still just 'ecstatic' and relieved that the toddler was found safe and sound after everything she went through. Highway 417 Highway 417 in Ontario, where a three-year-old girl who went missing last Sunday was found on Wednesday afternoon. (Source: Noovo Info) After she was found, search crews were clapping and giving each other high-fives, as passersby honked their horns on the side of the road to salute the police's work. The case 'had everybody in Quebec rooting for us, and everybody's happy, and everybody thinks that we made something good happen,' Richard added. Comments made by the mother the day she reported her daughter missing had raised heightened concerns about the girl's wellbeing. A video published on the mother's TikTok account on Sunday shows her holding her daughter in her arms, visibly angry. 'You try that again and this is going to get ugly,' Todd says in the video as her daughter looks into the camera. The caption on the video says, 'Have you come up against a mother with nothing to lose????' It's not clear who her remarks were directed at. 'It's almost a miracle' girl was found A day after the toddler was rescued, many were still praising the work of police officers on both sides of the border, including Nancy Duncan, director of operations at the Missing Children's Network. 'The fact that we got this outcome after four days is — I want to almost say it's almost a miracle. We were ecstatic, and it's what we all hoped for,' she said in an interview Thursday. Nancy Duncan Nancy Duncan, director of operations at the Missing Children's Network. (CTV News) More than 150 police officers from the SQ and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were part of the search involving helicopters, drones and ground search crews across a vast area spanning two provinces. Duncan, who has been at the network for 20 years, said the police's efforts were nothing short of 'extraordinary.' 'It's hard. It's not something that everybody can do, and they have a certain sense of empathy in keeping the family as the priority, and the child, so it's quite nice to see,' she said in an interview. The girl's father, Matthew Bell, reacted on Instagram Wednesday night, thanking those who helped find his daughter. 'Thank you for everyone's help. [sic] Please allow me and my family to take this time with our girl,' he posted. While the young girl recovers from the ordeal, her mother remains behind bars after being charged with child abandonment. She is scheduled to return to court Friday to set a date for a bail hearing, likely next week. With files from CTV News' Rob Lurie and Noovo Info
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Claire Bell said 'mom told me to wait' after Quebec toddler found at side of Ontario highway: report
Along with joy and relief at finding three-year-old Claire Bell alive in eastern Ontario after four days of searching come questions of how she survived and why she was alone at the side of a rural highway 150 kilometres from her home in Montreal. Police officially aren't saying much about the case, as their focus moves from the public search into a criminal investigation stage, but published accounts say the girl made a staggering and perplexing statement to her rescuers. I'm waiting for mom, she told me to wait for her 'I'm waiting for mom, she told me to wait for her,' Radio-Canada, CBC's French-language branch, reported Claire telling police who found her. 'Mom told me to wait,' the Journal de Montréal, a daily French-language newspaper reported the girl said. Police officials would not confirm the conversations, saying there is already an ongoing prosecution in Quebec, after the girl's mother, Rachel-Ella Todd, 34, was arrested late Monday night and charged with child abandonment while Claire was still missing. There also may now be a prosecution in Ontario, as the girl was allegedly abandoned about 50 kilometres into Ontario from the Quebec border. Police credit information from the public for helping solve the girl's disappearance. The strange way the girl was reported missing and distressing twists during the search galvanized public interest in the case. Police asked the public to help them track the movement of a grey 2007 Ford Escape, which helped investigators shift their attention into eastern Ontario. The SUV was reported to have been seen in the St-Albert and Casselman area. A drone operated by the Ontario Provincial Police spotted the girl around 2 p.m. on Wednesday in a field along an on-ramp for Highway 417 near the rural community of St. Albert, Ont., about 150 kilometres west of Montreal. OPP officers following behind the drone then swooped in to rescue her. Police said Claire was 'fine,' and described her as being conscious and able to talk. Photos from the scene show her looking stable and well, although a bit startled and unkempt. She was taken to hospital for a medical evaluation as a precaution. 'We were preparing for the worst, I think everyone was,' an Ontario police source said. Officers were overjoyed when she was found. Officers were seen celebrating the outcome of their efforts. 'The last few days, officers and members of the community have held our breath and hoped while we searched,' OPP Acting Staff-Sgt. Shaun Cameron. 'Now we exhale as one, knowing she is safe.' 'This is why we are police,' said Sûreté du Québec Capt. Benoît Richard. Cameron said police would not have found the girl in time without 'critical information' from the public. 'This was a search where we knew, especially given her age, that every hour mattered,' he said. 'This search proves that when a child goes missing, there are no interprovincial boundaries. There is only one goal: to find them.' Claire's father, Matthew Bell, thanked the public and asked for privacy in a social media post. Quebec Premier François Legault described the girl's safe return as 'almost a miracle,' and thanked police as well as members of the public who called in tips. Todd appeared before a judge on Tuesday by video from a police station, represented by a legal-aid lawyer. She was back in court briefly on Wednesday when the case was put off until Friday for a potential bail hearing. Claire was last seen Sunday morning, Father's Day, with her mother, at the apartment where Claire and Todd lived. News that she was missing was revealed about six hours later when her mother pulled into a roadside fireworks and souvenir store about 55 kilometres west of their apartment. Police said she told an employee she had lost her child and didn't know where she was. An enormous search began that shifted and grew from the Sunday missing child report through 72 hours. Hot days with little or no access to water would have posed the greatest risk to the rescued Montreal toddler's survival, a search and rescue coordinator who participated in the search told the Montreal Gazette. 'Water, normally after about three days, becomes a significant concern,' said Dany Chaput, on-site coordinator for the Association of Quebec Volunteers for Search and Rescue. The three days Claire was missing 'were very hot. There was a lot of sun,' he said. Around 120 volunteers under his direction spent three days combing areas near the Coteau-du-Lac exit where police had found the mother's car. Those volunteers 'drank enormous amounts of water and, despite that, had headaches, dizziness.' Claire wouldn't have had the same access to water, Chaput said. 'I don't think she necessarily had access to her primary needs.' National Post with additional reporting by Montreal Gazette and The Canadian Press • Email: ahumphreys@ | Twitter: AD_Humphreys Missing Quebec girl, 3, found safe after bizarre disappearance that led to charge against mother Dehydration posed gravest danger to Claire Bell, search coordinator says Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
