Police in Brantford, Ont., say they have charged a woman in connection with an incident at a local memorial honouring missing and deceased children from residential schools.
Investigators say they received a lead from a citizen that drew them to a possible suspect in the city on Tuesday.
“Officers with the Brantford Police Service followed up on the tip and were able to positively identify the suspect,” police said in a release.
A 38-year-old Brantford woman has been subsequently charged with mischief under $5,000.
Police say the release of a surveillance image was “instrumental” in locating and identifying the accused.
On Friday, detectives say a person vandalized the memorial at the Woodland Cultural Centre on Mohawk Street sometime after 10:30 p.m. on July 14.
“The suspect caused damage to a number of items left to honour the child victims of the residential school system by setting fire to them,” Brantford police spokesperson Robin Matthews-Osmond said in a statement on Monday.
The accused has been released from custody and is expected in court at a future date.
The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) is available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their residential school experience.