Latest news with #ClaireBell
News.com.au
21-06-2025
- News.com.au
Cops claim mum was making unsettling searches before 3yo missing
A toddler was found wandering on the side of a highway after a frantic four-day search — as cops revealed her mother made several unsettling online searches. Claire Bell, 3, was discovered on an Ontario highway, in Canada, on Wednesday afternoon, some 145km west of her home in Montreal, Sûreté du Quebec, the provincial police, said. The toddler was seen Sunday morning leaving an emergency exit of her apartment building in Montreal's La Salle region with her mother, Rachel Todd, and her pet chihuahua, according to Le Journal de Montreal. Her mother reported Bell missing later in the day in Coteau-du-Lac, about 97km away from where she was last seen, New York Post reported. A large-scale 'frantic' search was then carried out in Quebec and Ontario following the missing report, according to CTV. Hundreds of police and civilians went searching for the missing tot, according to the Montreal Gazette. Bell was found wandering alone on the side of Highway 417 in Ontario after a drone search was deployed over a witness tip, the outlet said. A chihuahua that matched the description of one believed to be with Bell when she was last seen was found dead close to the souvenir shop where Todd reported her daughter missing. Cops are now searching for an important witness who may have more information about what happened in the hours between when Bell was last seen and reported missing by her mother, the outlet reported. The witness is a woman who lives on a farm either in the Montérégie region or in Ontario, speaks English and French, and had met the missing girl's mother on Sunday between when she was last seen and reported missing. Todd, 34, was arrested and charged with child abandonment, according to the outlet. Investigators allegedly found alarming online searches, including funeral arrangements and children's urns, when they looked through Todd's phone after her arrest, Le Journal de Montreal reported. 'This story really, really doesn't look good,' a police source working on the case told the outlet. Court proceedings for Todd have been delayed until Friday, the Gazette said.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- 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.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- 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.
Vancouver Sun
19-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Claire Bell told police 'mom told me to wait' after missing Quebec toddler was 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. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 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 abut 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 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 .
Edmonton Journal
19-06-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Claire Bell told police 'mom told me to wait' after missing Quebec toddler was found at side of Ontario highway: report
Article content 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. Article content 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 abut 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. Article content 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.' Article content '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. Article content 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. Latest National Stories
