Quebec man accused of kidnapping 3-year-old son appears in court, to remain in custody

The suspect arrested after a five-day-long Amber Alert across Quebec appeared in court by videoconference Monday morning.

In a release, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says the full scope of the charges that could be levelled against the suspect are not yet known.

“We do know there should be one for recklessly discharging a gun since during last weekend’s operation, the suspect allegedly used a gun,” the SQ said. “Fortunately, no one got hurt.”

The 36-year-old is accused of abducting his three-year-old son on Aug. 31 from the area of Sainte-Paule, Que., in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, prompting a manhunt that lasted several days. It was one of the longest-lasting Amber Alerts to have taken place in Quebec.

At the height of the search, the alert applied to all of Quebec and New Brunswick. 

Police ended the alert on Saturday evening, after they found the pair inside a home in a heavily wooded area in the region, where the Amber Alert was first issued on Tuesday.

Police began a negotiation process with the father that lasted until about noon on Sunday, when they say the man was taken into police custody and the boy was returned safely to the care of his mother. 

“We can confirm that the three-year-old child was inside the residence and that he was not injured,” the SQ said Sunday.

Now, prosecutors are analyzing the file before bringing forth any other charges.

“The suspect was not injured during his arrest and throughout the search, he never left the perimeter targeted by the police,” the SQ said. 

Police say the accused will remain in custody until his next court appearance, scheduled for Oct. 5, where he could face more charges.