Police hunt for baby after arresting dad

Baby George (QMI AGENCY PHOTO)

A GTA-wide search for the father of a missing baby ended Tuesday afternoon with the arrest of Ricky Doodhnaught.
But his nine-week-old son has still not been located by authorities, said York Regional Police homicide Det.-Sgt. Larry Wilson.
Doodhnaught, 31, “has not co-operated with us in any way, and has not provided us with any information on the whereabouts of his son, George, or the safety of the baby,” Wilson told the Toronto Sun.
He said the prematurely-born baby has no known serious health concerns, but he remains “vulnerable” due to his small stature and obvious helplessness.
The lack of information or help in finding him “is very frustrating and very concerning,” Wilson said.
“We’re basically looking for a needle in a haystack,” he said.
Toronto Police officers last weekend found the van driven by Doodhnaught, who was wanted for contravening a custody order and was the subject of two outstanding arrest warrants for unrelated criminal offences.
York officers plus CAS caseworkers visited a City of Vaughan home on Nov. 24 armed with a court order to seize two children.
The mother was arrested and an 11-month-old child was removed “to a place of safety,” but Doodhnaught escaped, police stated.
Wilson said the father was not with their much-sought baby at the time of her arrest.
“It is our information that the mother has not seen George since early November,” he said.
She was charged on outstanding, unrelated arrest warrants and has since been released from custody, Wilson said.
Her name has not been released.
Baby George was reported missing last week.
Relatives denied caring for him and some told police they were unaware the couple had a second child, Wilson said.
He said officers were “going to all family members ... hitting it pretty hard, and to anyone with an association with Ricky or his wife.”
It was information pieced together from relatives that led to Doodhnaught’s arrest at a family member’s apartment on Driftwood Ave., Wilson said.
The investigation was taken over last week by the York Regional Police Homicide Unit, which also investigates cases of missing people if foul play is suspected.