Mother of toddler found dead in Quebec City charged with arson and obstruction of justice

A Quebec City woman appeared in court Thursday afternoon in connection with the death of her two-year-old daughter.

Audrey Gagnon, 23, was charged with arson and obstructing the work of a police officer, despite recommendations by Quebec City police that she be charged with murder.

Gagnon was arrested after the body of her daughter, Rosalie Gagnon, was discovered in a garbage can outside a home in the city’s Charlesbourg district. The toddler was pronounced dead in hospital.

The investigation was triggered by the discovery of an empty stroller near a park around 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

By 4 p.m., police had located the mother at an apartment building on Gaspard Street without her daughter Rosalie.

READ MORE: Missing two-year-old found dead in Quebec City

Police then found the body of the child a few blocks from where the stroller was spotted.

Gagnon and a man who was found in her company were taken in for questioning. The man has since been released.

Gagnon was expected to appear in court early Thursday morning, but her hearing was pushed back after she was hospitalized for self-inflicted injuries.

Quebec City police (SPVQ) confirmed Gagnon, injured herself after becoming “disorganized” while in police custody.

“She was taken to hospital with minor injuries,” said SPVQ spokesperson Cyndi Paré.

Gagnon will remain detained until her next court appearance for her bail hearing next Wednesday. Additional charges could be laid against her at that time.

Authorities say an autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Thursday in Montreal to determine the toddler’s cause of death.

— With files from The Canadian Press