A toddler who went missing for 72 hours has been found alive in St. Albert, Ontario
Three-year-old Claire Bell went missing on Sunday, June 15, before being found “wandering alone” near a highway on Wednesday, June 18
Bell’s mother, Rachel Todd, has been charged with child abandonment
A toddler, who went missing for 72 hours, has been located by the side of a highway in St. Albert, Ontario.
According to the Canadian newspaper, National Post, three-year-old Claire Bell went missing on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, resulting in a “frantic” search.
In a post on Facebook, Québec police, Sûreté du Québec, confirmed that Bell had been located. She was found in the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18, 90 miles from her Montreal home.
“Claire Bell, 3, of LaSalle, was located alive today around 3:00 p.m. near Highway 417 in Ontario by our colleagues from the Ontario Provincial Police,” authorities wrote in French. “Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. A press conference is scheduled for around 7:00 p.m. in St. Albert, Ontario.”
Per National Post, police added that finding Bell alive was the “best” result they “could have imagined.”
As reported by The Montreal Gazette, the girl had last been seen on Sunday around 2:00 p.m. in southeast Ontario.
The Gazette noted that hundreds of police and civilian volunteers participated in the search for Bell, with one telling the outlet that the toddler’s disappearance was “very frightening and sad.”
Canadian news outlet CTV described the “frantic” search for Bell, noting that the little girl was found “wandering alone near a highway in Ontario.” The outlet also reported that Bell had eventually been located by a drone search after a tip-off.
Her mother, Rachel Todd, reported her missing on Sunday 3:30 p.m. in Coteau-du-Lac, roughly 60 miles away from where she was last seen. The outlet noted that Todd was arrested and subsequently charged with child abandonment.
Per The Montreal Gazette, Todd appeared at the Valleyfield courthouse on Wednesday and remains in custody. Proceedings have been paused until Friday, June 20.
According to the outlet, Police are looking for a woman thought to be a witness in the case. They report that she met with Todd on the day of Bell’s disappearance, and is key to tracing the toddler’s movements.
