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A toddler has been found alive over 100 miles from her home after an extensive four-day search, say Quebec officials.
Claire Bell, 3, was tracked down by a drone being operated by Ontario Provincial Police officers in a field along Highway 417 – 110 miles west of Montreal, where she lives, just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, said Sûreté du Québec, the Quebec Provincial Police.
Bell was last seen at her home in Montreal's LaSalle borough at around 9:45 a.m. Sunday.
A few hours later, her mother, Rachel-Ella Todd, 34, reported her missing at a souvenir store in Coteau-du-Lac, about 30 miles west of the city.
An employee at the store said Todd drove her car into a parking lot, then ran into the store barefoot in a panic.
The employee said Todd claimed she had lost her child and was not able to remember what happened. Another employee then dialled 911.
On Monday, investigators arrested Todd and charged her with child abandonment, the QPP told The Independent.
A brown chihuahua, which matched the description of one believed to be with Bell when she was last seen on Sunday morning, was found dead, close to the souvenir store where Bell was reported missing.
The QPP stated that investigators matched the identity of the dog through Bell’s mother's social media and because it was found near the store where the toddler was reported missing.
It has emerged that investigators found searches for children's funeral urns after scanning Todd’s phone following her arrest, reports Le Journal de Montréal.
The dog found dead was reportedly the family’s pet long-haired Chihuahua, named Hazel, the outlet added.
Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, QPP Sgt. Éloïse Cossette stated that the OPP received a tip regarding the girl and her mother.
Police also released a video of Todd’s 2007 grey Ford Escape, with a “Baby on Board” sticker on the right passenger-side corner of the rear window.
Sgt. Cossette went on to describe the moments after OPP officers found the young girl.
“She [Claire] was speaking with the police officers; she was alive. We provided some first aid, water, and food for now, and she’s been taken care of by the paramedics. The priority is to make sure she is OK and healthy.
“We are happy that she’s alive – it’s the best scenario possible,” Sgt. Cossette added.
Bell’s mother appeared at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse in Quebec on Wednesday in handcuffs. She is scheduled to appear in court again on June 20. If found guilty, she could face a five-year prison sentence for child abandonment.
Authorities have thanked the public for their help in locating Bell.
“The officers would not have located the little girl without critical information from the public,” said OPP acting Staff Sgt. Shaun Cameron.
A joint QPP-OPP investigation into Bell’s disappearance is still ongoing, officials said.
Anyone who may have seen Todd’s vehicle between 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday is asked to come forward.
The Independent contacted the OPP for information.
