CTV Montreal
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 was taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries ahead of a planned court appearance today.
Audrey Gagnon, 23, was expected to face charges Thursday in connection with the death of her two-year-old daughter, Rosalie, but police said her court appearance has been delayed.
Gagnon's injuries were sustained while she was in police custody. They are not life threatening, said Const. Cyndi Paré.
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.
Rosalie Gagnon's body was found in a 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 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) Police said an autopsy will be performed on the girl on Thursday to determine the exact cause of death.
The mother and toddler were reported missing 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.
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.
Quebec City police (SPVQ) have confirmed that the body of a young child found Wednesday afternoon in the city’s Charlesbourg district belongs to two-year-old Rosalie Gagnon, who had been reported missing earlier in the day.
Gagnon’s inanimate body was found outside, near a home, and taken to hospital where her death was confirmed.
Around midday, the police force sought the public’s help locating the girl and her mother, Audrey Gagnon. The latter was located within a few hours, but without her daughter.
SPVQ spokesperson Cyndi Paré said investigators had interrogated the mother as well as another person who was found with her. They are considered to be “important witnesses.”
As of Wednesday evening, Gagnon, 23, was still being interviewed by the SPVQ.
The investigation began after an empty stroller was found near Bon-Air Parc, also in the Charlesbourg area, around 7:15 a.m..
“Since this was a rather unusual discovery, research was conducted in the area in an attempt to find the stroller’s owner and we identified Audrey Gagnon,” Plante said.
