Timeline Of Baby Angelica-Leslie Case

One chapter in the saga of a child who touched the hearts of GTA residents has ended with the arrest of two people accused of abandoning her in a plaza parking lot. But another is just beginning as officials continue to care for the child.

Here’s a look back at the timeline of events surrounding little Angelica-Leslie.

Jan. 30, 12:30pm: On a freezing cold Wednesday morning, a shopper returns to a remote area of a parking lot at Finch and Leslie Square and spots what she thinks is a toy doll in a stairwell. The passerby investigates and is stunned to discover it’s a baby, about eight months old, left on the cold cement floor. Police are called.

Jan. 30: 1pm:  The child is rushed to North York General Hospital, where doctors manage to warm her up. They grimly announce if she hadn’t been discovered when she was, she would have certainly succumbed to exposure. There are no clues to who she is or why she was left to die at the mall.

Jan. 30: 1:15pm: Police set up a command post at the plaza, asking if anyone knows who the infant is. They are greeted only with more questions and few answers. Cops release their two best clues: a picture of the little girl with a haunted look in her eyes and a grainy surveillance still of a green, four-door 1997-2000 Ford Escort seen driving away from the scene. Neither yields many clues.

Jan. 31: Cops release full motion video of the car and a person seen from a distance entering the stairwell area, ( see it here) hoping someone will be able to identify it. Despite numerous tips, they still have no idea who was driving. They also put out pictures of the clothes the girl was wearing, hoping something unique will stand out for someone.

Feb. 1: As calls pour in about the child, the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) announce they’ve given the abandoned girl the name “Angelica-Leslie,” because of her angel face and the nearest street where she was discovered. Cops confirm she suffered some injuries, but it’s not clear whether it happened when she was abandoned or before she was dropped from the car. But many suspect she was abused.

Feb. 3: Tips pour in as the case receives massive publicity across North America. Police believe someone locally would have noticed a missing child and begin to speculate that the girl may have come from out of town. The search for those responsible expands to Buffalo and as far away as B.C., after a phone call offering clues comes in from out west.

Feb. 4: It’s now been five days since the newly christened Angelica-Leslie was found and officials admit it’s amazing what a little TLC has accomplished. She begins to eat and drink regularly, but the best sign of all is a smile that CAS officials say is something beautiful to behold.

But amongst the beauty is something ugly – case workers note the little girl seems to react negatively whenever a male walks into the room.

More than 40 people have already called hoping to adopt her.

Feb. 8: Cops send out info to 1,700 Crime Stoppers agencies across North America, asking them to publicize the case. It also pops up on YouTube and Facebook, as well as the organization’s own site.

Feb. 15: New pictures of Angelica-Leslie are released and it shows a changed child. She’s happy, smiling and well fed. The haunting stare that bothered so many is gone.

May 7: The baby thrives in a foster home and little is heard about her for months as the hunt for those responsible for leaving her to die continues. More than 80 families have now come forward offering their homes to her, but CAS plans to finalize an adoption are suddenly put on hold, after cops reveal they may have a good lead on a relative.

May 22: Police announce they’ve made an arrest in the case, charging two people alleged to be the child’s parents, with failing to provide the necessities of life and assault causing bodily harm. It has been almost four months since the girl was found abandoned on that cold, hard floor.