Search continues for missing man in Cambridge, still no cause released in child's death
The search continued Tuesday for a man police say may have information about the death of an 8-year-old boy in Cambridge.
Police are looking for Curtis Hesselink, 41, who has been missing since Saturday.
The boy was found dead inside a home on Townline Road near Hespeler Village earlier that day.
An 8-year-old boy was found dead at a home on Townline Rd. in Cambridge. (May 2022)
Police said his death is considered "suspicious." While an autopsy has been completed, the boy's cause of death has not yet been determined. On Tuesday, the chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service told CTV News Kitchener a toxicology report had been ordered.
"It's quite simply tragic," said Bryan Larkin.
NEIGHBOURS REACT
Initially police were concerned Hesselink might be armed and dangerous, so neighbours were warned to stay inside their homes.
"I was petrified," said Marj Meiers, who lives nearby. "Normally I go to bed early. That night I stayed up to watch the [Maple] Leafs with my husband and I didn't want to be alone. I was just too afraid."
"I know a lot of the neighbours were concerned [about] going out," said Mark Geier. "A lot of the neighbours were concerned, like: 'What's going on? Is there a killer on the loose?'"
Police now believe there's no danger to the public, but they are still concerned for Hesselink's safety.
Several neighbours told CTV News that they wished that they had been told that information sooner.
"Just for any officer to walk up the road or get on the phone, something," said Meiers. "Yes absolutely [I] would've liked that."
Neighbours only learned that Hesselink was no longer a public threat from news reports and social media.
"It would've been nice to know what was going on, of course," said Geier. "At the same time, I realize that they're investigating so they have to be kind of quiet about it."
POLICE RESPONSE
Chief Bryan Larkin said police are working on finding better ways to communicate with the public in situations like these.
"We certainly understand the trepidation of the community as we advance and look at using alerting mechanisms," he said. "Currently we use social media as well as news outlets. But we are advancing and looking towards other alerting mechanisms."
He added that after a risk assessment was done they determined "quickly" that Hesselink was not a threat to the community.
Curtis Hesselink in an undated photo provided by the Waterloo Regional Police Service.
Neighbours also wondered why Hesselink's name and picture were not released to the public until Monday.
Chief Larkin said there are a lot of difficult decisions that have to be made in complex situations like these.
"Those were investigative decisions as we were working through this. We obviously released a description and [had] lots of discussions around potentially also, through the release of the name and photo, [that we] would identify the 8-year-old. So there is a connection. We looked at all those processes and we are working with the families involved in this to ensure that we find the appropriate balance."
Police have not released the boy's name and haven't said how Hesselink and the child knew each other.
SEARCH CONTINUES
On Tuesday, police used a variety of methods to look for Hesselink.
"We're searching a large area at the location where the death occurred," said Chief Larkin. "It is a lot of terrain, forest, there's water on the property. We've used a remote piloted vehicle to search the area. We've also had an OPP helicopter assisting us, we've had on-the-ground search teams. More recently we've had the OPP canine unit, specialized dogs assisting us, as well as their underwater unit."
Waterloo regional police at the scene of a boy's death in Cambridge. (May 2022)
After four days of searching, Hesselink has not been found, and the community is on edge.
"Until they say they found him, I'm going to be afraid," said Meiers. "I'm not going to go into my own field."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.