First-degree murder charge in death of five-year-old Quebec boy: Crown

COTEAU-DU-LAC, Que. — Quebec provincial police say a woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a five-year-old boy in a home about 55 kilometres southwest of Montreal.

Police say the 29-year-old woman was arraigned in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., on Wednesday afternoon.

They declined to confirm the accused's relationship with the victim and a spokeswoman for the Crown says there is a publication ban on both identities.

The boy was found unresponsive inside a home in Coteau-du-Lac, Que., after emergency services were called about 3 a.m. He was declared dead in hospital.

Police say the death is suspicious, with two other people inside the home also taken to hospital.

Crime scene technicians were at the home much of Wednesday and investigators were interested in speaking with people who had seen the child in the past 24 hours.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.

The Canadian Press