A missing toddler was found safe Thursday afternoon, ending a rare Amber Alert issued by Ottawa police.
Police allege the child was abducted by his father, a known gang associate, from a barbecue in Tunney’s Pasture around noon on Thursday.
The child was found safe with his father on Ritchie Street around 3 p.m. Kevyn Lex Menard, 24, is now in custody and charges against him are pending, police said.
Police said Menard and his son left an outdoor barbecue on foot. The pair was later captured on OC Transpo video surveillance footage, suggesting they then boarded public transit. A still image released by police showed the man, wearing a red baseball hat, holding his son’s hand while the two walked.
Menard is of no fixed address. He previously spent a little over one month in jail for obstructing police and petty theft in 2013. He was also convicted of assault and a weapons possession in 2010.
Police have not said what led to the alleged abduction or if there were outstanding custody issues but the incident is believed to be related to an ongoing domestic dispute.
Thursday’s Amber Alert is believed to be the first issued by Ottawa police, although OPP and RCMP alerts have been in effect in the city before.
– With files from Chris Cobb and Marie-Danielle Smith
