Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Quebec Police Continue Search for Missing Toddler as Mother Faces Abandonment Charge

Search efforts have expanded around Coteau-du-Lac and Vaudreuil-Dorion after authorities found a dead chihuahua believed to have been with Claire Bell

A Quebec provincial police shoulder patch is seen in Montreal, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Claire Bell, 3, is three feet tall and weighs 35 pounds, according to the Sûreté du Québec's news release.

Overview

  • Claire Bell, three, disappeared June 15 in Montreal’s LaSalle borough and was reported missing later that day in Coteau-du-Lac by her mother, Rachel-Ella Todd.
  • Todd, 34, was arrested Tuesday and charged with one count of unlawful abandonment of a child after telling store staff she could not find her daughter.
  • Authorities located a long-haired reddish-brown chihuahua matching the family pet dead near Highway 30 in Vaudreuil-Dorion, prompting intensified searches of nearby ditches and waterways.
  • Specialized teams and trained volunteers are combing multiple Montérégie locations using helicopters, drones and tracking dogs while urging residents to check yards and report any clues.
  • Police have not issued an Amber Alert, citing insufficient evidence of abduction or imminent danger, and are relying on public tips via 911 or the Sûreté du Québec’s confidential line.