Montreal mom accused of leaving daughter to die on highway as police reveal haunting details

A Montreal mother accused of abandoning her three-year-old daughter on the side of a rural Ontario highway is now facing an upgraded charge of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, authorities confirmed Thursday(July 3).

The 34-year-old woman, who cannot be named due to a court-ordered publication ban protecting her child’s identity. She was arrested on June 16, one day after reporting the girl missing in the town of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., about 50 kilometers west of Montreal. Her call to police triggered an intensive three-day search across two provinces.

The child was found alive but dehydrated and hungry on June 18 near Highway 417 in St. Albert, Ontario, roughly 150 kilometers from her family’s home. She was discovered alone in a grassy area by Ontario Provincial Police officers, concluding a search effort that included helicopters, drones, canine units, and hundreds of volunteers.


The mother initially faced a charge of child abandonment. Still, during a bail hearing on Thursday at the Valleyfield courthouse in Quebec, prosecutors added the more serious charge of criminal negligence causing bodily harm. This indictable offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

According to the charge sheet, the woman is accused of failing to “provide the necessaries of life for a child under the age of 16.” Crown Prosecutor Lili Prévost-Gravel told reporters that the mother’s alleged actions endangered the child’s life and well-being.

The mother broke down in tears in court as a Quebec provincial police officer testified. She appeared emotional but attentive, occasionally wiping her eyes. Under the conditions of the publication ban, no evidence presented during the hearing can be publicly released.

The Crown is opposing her release, arguing she remains a risk to the child and could undermine public confidence in the justice system. Her defense lawyer has proposed a release plan that includes mental health support, stating earlier that the mother “needs help.”

Authorities continue to investigate how the child came to be abandoned, including a reported six-hour window during which the mother’s whereabouts remain unclear. Investigators are also appealing to the public for information about a bilingual woman who may have interacted with the mother during that period.

The bail hearing is scheduled to resume on Friday, July 4.