Missing Quebec toddler's mother arrested, charged with child abandonment

The parent of Claire Bell, the three-year-old girl reported missing on Sunday, was arrested and charged with kid abandonment precocious on Monday.

Rachel Todd, who turned 34 connected the eve of Claire's disappearance, is scheduled to look successful tribunal again contiguous in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.

The complaint alleges that she abandoned Claire and enactment her beingness and wellness successful danger. If recovered guilty, the maximum condemnation is five years successful prison.

A video posted by Todd successful the hours before Bell's disappearance has also surfaced connected TikTok. Radio-Canada has confirmed the relationship belongs to her.

In the abbreviated video, Todd is holding Claire and tin beryllium heard saying: "You effort that again and this is going to get ugly." 

The caption says, "Have you travel up against a parent with thing to lose????"

CBC does not cognize the discourse successful which the video was filmed. Quebec provincial constabulary said it is not commenting connected the video.

The hunt for the missing toddler was still underway connected Tuesday morning, according to Sgt. Jean-Raphaël Drolet, with a absorption connected Coteau-du-Lac, Highway 20 and Highway 30. According to the complaint sheet, prosecutors judge Todd abandoned Claire in that area.  

Drolet indicated that constabulary mightiness see different hunt areas depending connected the accusation they obtain.

The toddler was past seen Sunday greeting astatine her and Todd's location successful LaSalle, a borough of Montreal.

According to police, Bell was reported missing by Todd a fewer hours aboriginal astatine a store successful Coteau-du-Lac, astir 50 kilometres westbound of Montreal. 

An worker of the store said the woman drove her car into the parking batch and ran into the store successful a panic. CBC News is not identifying the employee because she is not authorized to talk connected behalf of the store. 

The worker said the pistillate said she'd mislaid her kid and couldn't retrieve what happened. Another worker past called 911.

On Monday evening, constabulary announced they were besides searching astir Highway 30 successful the Vaudreuil-Dorion area wherever a brownish Chihuahua was recovered dead.

The canine matched the statement of the 1 thought to beryllium with the miss erstwhile she was past seen. Police are inactive moving to corroborate that it's the aforesaid dog. 

According to police, Claire was past seen astatine her residence adjacent Newman Avenue successful Montreal's LaSalle borough Sunday morning, around 9:45 a.m. ET.  The girl is 3 feet tall, weighs 35 pounds and has brownish eyes and brownish hair.

She was past seen wearing grey pants and a long-sleeved garment with pinkish astir the collar, constabulary said. She's apt barefoot, constabulary added.

Investigators are asking the nationalist to scope retired if they spotted the conveyance with the licence sheet K50 FVE between 9:45 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET Sunday. The conveyance besides has a yellowish "Baby connected board" sticker connected the apical close country of the rear windshield.

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