Missing B.C. toddler Kienan Hebert returned to his family: RCMP

Postmedia News  Sep 11, 2011 – 8:18 AM ET | Last Updated: Sep 11, 2011 9:02 AM ET

An abducted British Columbia boy, Kienan Hebert, was returned to his family home Sunday morning, the RCMP said.  Police are expected to provide further details about his return later in the morning. On Saturday, the three-year-old’s family issued an emotional appeal for his return.  “We’re speaking to whoever has Kienan right now. We’re just asking, please bring Kienan to a safe place right now, like a gas station or a store parking lot,” said father Paul Hebert, as the boy’s mother, Tammy, cried. Kienan was put to bed on Tuesday night wearing Scooby Doo boxers. By Wednesday morning, he was gone. Initially, the family suspected Kienan had wandered off in his sleep. But those hopes faded as few clues to the barefoot-boy’s whereabouts surfaced.  An Amber Alert issued in B.C. on Wednesday turned up a handful of unconfirmed sightings of the boy. As of Saturday up to 60 police investigators were working on the case.
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Missing B.C. boy returned alive to home -Jen Gerson, Calgary HeraldSeptember 11, 2011 8:16 AM
SPARWOOD - Toddler Kienan Hebert was returned to his home in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said.  The three-year-old is in good general health, according to Cpl Dan Moskaluk, B.C. RCMP. On Saturday, the Hebert family made an emotional plea directly to the suspected abductor, Randall Hopley. The child was left in the Hebert home, which was empty as the family was staying with friends. Police then received a 9-11 call from the abductor and arrived at the home to find the child.  “We can confirm that three-year-old Kienan Hebert is safe and sound and alive. He appears to be in good general health,” Moskaluk said, adding he had never seen an outcome like this in 26 years of policing. “I truly want to smile about this because it’s not very often that these types of things happen in these types of investigations, frankly.”  Hopley is still missing and police have set up road checks on the roads and highways leading in and out of Sparwood. They’re stopping cars and trucks to check in trunks and compartments. Through the media, Moskaluk, asked Hopley to get in touch with police.  “We need to speak to you. It’s very, very important that we speak to you, Randy. Our main concern now is for you to contact us,” he said.  Moskaluk would not say whether the Hebert home was under surveillance when the child was returned. “With respect to the abductor placing the child back in the home undetected, is a very chilling prospect,” he said. Police are still searching for Hopley and his vehicle, a 1987 brown Toyota Camry.  For now, he said, the news is happy.  “We’ve got a child returned. I’ve never been able to say that,” Moskaluk said.  The Hebert family declined to speak to media.