Quebec man sought by FBI and Interpol is found
A Quebec man sought by authorities after a suspicious note was discovered by cleaning staff in a hotel room in Hillsville, VA, was found in Florida.
FBI, Interpol and the RCMP were looking for Pierre Morand, the former chief of Lachute's fire department. The note found Thursday morning hinted that a young girl who called herself Jasmine Hines, may have been the victim of a kidnapping.
Cpt. Jason Hawks of the Hillsville police department said that the note asked for authorities for help.
Investigators searched through lists of missing people for anyone by the name of Jasmine Hines, but found nothing.
Morand said he had no idea the police were looking for him. He said he was on his way to his winter home in Florida with his wife.
Hawks said police have little information to go on for the time being.
"As of right now, we are looking at it as a possible abduction, possible missing person [case]," he said.
This case is one of the most bizarre investigations that Hillsville Police Sgt. James Alderman has ever seen.
"I've been here 25 years and this is one of the more crazy situations," he said.
The room where the letter was found was registered under Morand's name, Alderman said.
When police reviewed security footage, they saw a man leaving the room in the company of another person.
"He checked in as one person and two people left, so that's heightened our concern," Alderman said.
Hillsville police have been in contact with the RCMP, Interpol and the FBI.
Officers believe they are looking for a Caucasian girl, but it is unclear at this point whether the letter could be a hoax.
Alderman said that for now, as far as investigators are concerned, Morand has done nothing wrong.
"We hope that [this is] somebody's idea of a bad joke and that these folks were in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.
