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The mother of two-year-old girl Rosalie Gagnon will be charged with murder following the death of her child.
She was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, but Quebec City police said that could be delayed as she is treated for self-inflicted wounds suffered while she was in custody.
The mother and child were reported missing earlier this week when someone spotted an empty stroller in Bon-Air Park in the Charlesbourg neighbourhood.
"As this was a rather unusual discovery, we undertook research in the area to try to identify the owner of the stroller and identified Ms. Audrey Gagnon," said officer Cyndi Paré.
Police contacted Gagnon's family and at their request declared her missing.
Officers found Gagnon and a man whose identity has not been disclosed on Wednesday afternoon, and police questioned both of them at length.
Hours after finding Gagnon, the body of her two-year-old daughter Rosalie was found in a garbage can on Avenue de Gaulle.
Police have since released the man and are recommending charges of murder against Gagnon.
An autopsy will be performed on Rosalie's remains to determine the exact cause of death.
The mother of a toddler who was found dead in Quebec City yesterday has been released from hospital ahead of a planned court appearance this afternoon.
Audrey Gagnon, 23, is expected to face charges in connection with the death of her two-year-old daughter, Rosalie.
Gagnon's court appearance was delayed after she was hospitalized with self-inflicted injuries, suffered while she was in police custody.
A police spokesperson said late Thursday morning that her arraignment should take place in the afternoon.
Police are recommending that she be charged with murder, though the final decision will be made by Quebec's Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions.
It is unclear whether the recommendation is for a first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter charge.
Police launched a search for Audrey Gagnon, 23, and Rosalie early Wednesday morning. Rosalie's body was found later in the afternoon. (Service de police de la Ville de Québec)
Autopsy to be performed today
Rosalie Gagnon's body was found in a garbage bin behind a home on de Gaulle Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, in the city's Charlesbourg neighbourhood. The toddler was pronounced dead in hospital.
Police said an autopsy will be performed on the girl on Thursday to determine the exact cause of death.
Neighbourhood residents placed flowers and stuffed animals outside the home where the Rosalie's body was found.
Geneviève Charbonneau brought three of her kids to the home where Rosalie's body was found so they could pay their respects. (Cathy Senay/CBC)
The search for the mother and toddler started around 7 a.m. ET Wednesday after someone found an empty baby stroller in Bon-Air Park and contacted police.
The empty stroller was found at Bon-Air Park Wednesday morning. Rosalie's body was found outside a home on de Gaulle Avenue, and her mother was found at a residence on Gaspard Avenue. (Google Maps) Police found the woman in an apartment on Gaspard Avenue, about two kilometres away from the park in the Beauport neighbourhood, around 3:30 p.m.
She was with a man at the time. Police said both were interviewed, but the man was eventually released. He will not be charged.
Read the latest on this story: Police arrest mother of 2-year-old found dead in Quebec City
Police in Quebec City are confirming that the body they found near a home Wednesday afternoon is that of missing 2-year-old Rosalie Gagnon.
The body was found on De Gaulle Avenue and transported to hospital, where the child was pronounced dead.
Quebec City police spokesperson Cyndi Paré would not confirm if any arrests had been made.
Earlier in the day, Rosalie and her mother, Audrey Gagnon, 23, were reported missing. Police later found Audrey Gagnon in an apartment around Gaspard Avenue, along with a man.
Police said they were interviewing the pair.
The search for the mother and daughter was triggered around seven in the morning when a bystander contacted police after finding an empty baby stroller in Bon-Air Park in the Charlesbourg neighbourhood.
Audrey Gagnon, cette mère de 23 ans qui a été arrêtée pour le meurtre de sa fille de 2 ans Rosalie Gagnon, a été hospitalisée après s'être infligé des blessures tandis qu'elle était en détention. Elle a depuis été libérée de l'hôpital.
La suspecte sera en mesure de comparaître ce jeudi au palais de justice de Québec pour faire face à des accusations de meurtre. Cyndi Paré, porte-parole au Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ), n’a pas voulu dévoiler la nature des blessures de l’accusée.
«On ne craint pas pour sa vie. Elle devrait comparaître aujourd’hui, tout dépendant de l’heure à laquelle son médecin la libérera», a indiqué Mme Paré.
Le dossier de Mme Gagnon a été soumis au Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP). «Nous avons soumis le dossier pour meurtre au DPCP. C’est lui, au final, qui décidera des accusations qui seront portées», a ajouté Mme Paré.
Audrey Gagnon a été arrêtée au courant de la nuit alors qu’elle était interrogée par des enquêteurs. Sa fille Rosalie a été retrouvée inanimée dans une poubelle sur un terrain résidentiel de l’avenue De Gaulle, dans le secteur de Charlesbourg.
Photo courtoisie SPVQ
Elle a été retrouvée vers 17 h.
«Une autopsie sera pratiquée aujourd’hui pour déterminer les causes et les circonstances exactes du décès», a poursuivi Mme Paré. Aucun détail sur l’état de la petite victime, soit de potentielles blessures apparentes, n’a été divulgué.
L’homme qui a été rencontré mercredi comme témoin a été libéré. Le SPVQ ne dispose pas de détails sur les liens qui pourraient le rattacher à l’accusée.
Photo Agence QMI, Marc Vallières
Selon nos informations, Audrey Gagnon était aux prises avec des problèmes de toxicomanie. Le SPVQ n’a pas souhaité faire de commentaires à ce sujet. Le père de l’enfant n’aurait pas été présent dans la vie de Rosalie.
L’accusée était connue du milieu policier. Elle avait notamment été condamnée à six mois de prison pour voies de fait graves en 2014.
