Quadeville's summer of fear
When a girl was found with horrific injuries, authorities suspected an animal attack
For two weeks in June and July, the tiny rural village of Quadeville, Ont., lived under a cloud of fear and uncertainty.
An eight-year-old girl had been viciously attacked and left for dead in the woods. Adding to the community's dread was the fact that investigators couldn't definitively say whether the child's horrific injuries had been caused by an animal or a human.
Here's a timeline of the events.
June 23
The girl is reported missing. According to an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) alert, she was last seen around 6 p.m. at a grocery store in Quadeville wearing a T-shirt and shorts, a white cap with a red maple leaf on it, and bare feet.
Worried townspeople launch a search as night falls.
June 24
Shortly after midnight, the missing girl is found severely injured in dense woods off Quadeville Road, not far from the grocery store where she was last seen.
Upper Ottawa Valley OPP announce they're investigating "an overnight incident in Quadeville … in which a child suffered serious injuries." Police advise local parents to keep their children indoors or under close supervision "until the source of the victim's injuries can be determined."
Medical transport service Ornge tells CBC it airlifted a pediatric patient "with critical injuries relating to an animal attack" to Ottawa's children's hospital.
The local fire department announces it will no longer take part in upcoming Canada Day events, partly to protect the mental health of the firefighters who witnessed the scene.
In Quadeville, OPP vehicles guard a dirt road leading into the bush off Quadeville Road.
In a social media post, Quadeville Pentecostal Church announces the little girl is out of surgery but still in intensive care. "The local community came to her aid last night and we know they will continue to support her over the coming months."
June 25
OPP confirm investigators suspect the girl was the victim of an animal attack, but say "further testing and analysis is required." Police continue to urge parents in the area to keep small children indoors or under close supervision.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) confirms it's supporting the investigation, but refers questions about any efforts to track and capture a dangerous animal to police.
Some residents of the area tell CBC they're frustrated with a lack of information from officials.
"It just would be nice to have some answers," one local shopkeeper says.
July 4
In the first major update in more than a week, OPP announce they're looking for a motorcyclist in his 60s who used to live in the area but now might reside in the U.S. The man is not considered "a subject of the investigation but may have information that could assist the case," police say.
At the same time, OPP say they're working with the MNR and "experts in animal attacks," and say animal traps have been set out in Quadeville "as a precautionary measure." Police continue to advise parents to keep their children close.
The girl remains in serious but stable condition at CHEO, police say.
July 7
MNR tells CBC its officers deployed bear traps and trail cameras in the area from June 24 to July 4, but that nothing was captured and "no significant wildlife activity" was observed.
July 9
OPP announce they've arrested and charged a 17-year-old male from eastern Ontario with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon. Recent testing of samples taken from the girl's wounds revealed no trace of animal DNA, police say.
The suspect, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is held in custody. The same law protects the identity of the victim.
The following morning, OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson tells CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning investigators had to keep an open mind.
"The injuries … did look very much like an animal incident, so out of due diligence we had to warn people that maybe there was some type of animal that was responsible for this," he said.
"We didn't want to cause excess panic, but yet we didn't want to underplay the potential that there could be a risk to someone else out there, so it was a tough balancing act."
Local residents express shock at the turn of events.
"Maybe I shouldn't say this, [but] maybe I do wish it was an animal," one woman told CBC.
July 12
OPP will hold a town hall in Quadeville "to address questions and concerns from local residents."