The mother of a toddler who was found dead in Quebec City yesterday has been charged with obstructing the work of a police officer and setting fire to a police station.
Audrey Gagnon's court appearance, scheduled for Thursday morning, was delayed after she was sent to hospital with self-inflicted injuries, suffered while she was in police custody.
Gagnon, 23, was released from hospital and appeared in court Thursday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Quebec City police said they were recommending that Gagnon be charged in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Rosalie.
Police didn't say whether they believed Gagnon should be charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter. The Crown has not yet acted on the recommendation.
Gagnon remains in custody, and a bail hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Her defence lawyer said in court Thursday he has not yet received any evidence.
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'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)
Geneviève Charbonneau, a mother of five, came to pay her respects.
"I'm [a] single mom, and I don't have the words for this. But I'm in shock," Charbonneau said.
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.
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.
CTV Montreal
The mother of two-year-old girl Rosalie Gagnon was charged with obstruction of justice and arson at a Quebec City courthouse Thursday afternoon.
Quebec City police said that Gagnon's arraignment on Thursday was delayed, as she was 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.
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.
A beauty product consultant from the Quebec City region has found herself swept up in a family drama.
Audrey Gagnon, a Mary Kay sales representative, used her Facebook page Wednesday evening to try to dissociate herself from a woman arrested over the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Rosalie Gagnon.
Gagnon not only shares the same name as the suspect, Audrey Gagnon's daughter is also named Rosalyne, which added to the confusion.
Contacted by HuffPost Quebec, Gagnon confirmed she had received messages from distant acquaintances, as well as Facebook friend requests from strangers.
Her Facebook page was also mistakenly identified in several publications as the one belonging to the accused.
The businesswoman said she has not received any threats. "People realized quite quickly that it was not me."
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