A Montreal mom was recently arrested for child abandonment. The woman’s three-year-old daughter went missing, prompting an intensive search from authorities. The toddler was eventually found safe, but the disturbing details surrounding the case are hard to ignore.
Claire Bell, 3, was reported missing on June 15th. The toddler was reportedly last seen at 9:45 a.m. at her family home. The home is located in LaSalle, which is a suburb located in Montreal, Quebec.
#MontrealNews: Rachel Todd, mother of missing 3-year-old Claire Bell, has been arrested and charged with child abandonment. Claire vanished Sunday under mysterious circumstances. Police continue searching near Coteau-du-Lac. A dead dog linked to the case was found. #ClaireBell pic.twitter.com/Mcx8yYbdlH
— Achala Jayasekara (@achala_j9) June 19, 2025
Soon after, Rachel-Ella Todd, who is the mother of the child, walked into a souvenir store looking confused. The 34-year-old was described to be barefoot and panicked, according to the employees of the store. The store named Côteau-du-Lac is also located 60 miles from Todd’s family home.
The mother told the employees of the store that her daughter had gone missing and she couldn’t find the 3-year-old. Following the realisation, police were informed about the situation. The authorities launched a search mission that covered the grounds from Quebec to Ontario.
‘I’m waiting for mum, she told me to wait for her.’ That’s what Claire Bell told police officers when she was found in Ontario.
I hope that her mom never gets to see her again. This little girl deserves so much better. #canada pic.twitter.com/zhisbLX8kY
— Rose (@901Lulu) June 18, 2025
The 3-year-old was found alive and well on Highway 417 in St. Albert, Ontario, three days after she was reported missing. The location strangely happened to be 100 miles away from where she was last seen. Claire reportedly interacted normally with first responders present at the scene, as per a report.
The toddler accepted water and food from them and told them that she was “waiting” for her mom. “She told me to wait for her,” the child shared. The authorities also described finding her unharmed as “the most positive scenario we could have hoped for.”
A video that the mother of the three-year-old posted to TikTok has caught the attention of authorities and the public. In the clip posted to the platform, Todd is seen carrying Claire in her arms. “Try that again and this is gonna get ugly,” she warns, directed to nobody in particular. “I know more than you think,” the caption for the post reads.
Omg
This was posted by Rachel Todd, the mother of missing child Claire Bell from Montreal, Canada. She looks completely unhinged. #missingchild pic.twitter.com/mrzNGl5iEr
— Rose (@901Lulu) June 17, 2025
The video has now become extremely crucial to find out exactly what happened. It remains unconfirmed if the video was taken on the same day as the toddler was reported missing. Irrespective of the timing, the mother’s strange behavior is raising eyebrows.
Investigators revealed another detail that might just be chalked up to be the most disturbing detail related to the case. Todd’s internet search history included her searching “children’s funeral urns.” Rachel was arrested by the cops on June 16 and charged with child abandonment. The Montreal mother is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, June 20, 2025.
