It was a tense evening in southern Ontario: a child gone missing, a woman fatally shot, and a community on edge. As of now, one-year-old Skyla-Rose Deschepper has been located unharmed, ending the AMBER Alert—but her father, 38-year-old Anthony Deschepper, remains the subject of an ongoing manhunt tied to a homicide in Brampton.
The alert launched before 5 p.m. in Brampton when police confirmed Skyla-Rose had not returned. She was reportedly dropped off later with family members, prompting relief across the region. Officials confirmed the toddler is safe and in good condition.
The sequence of events, however, is chilling. Earlier on Tuesday, in a parking lot near Airport Road and Queen Street East in Brampton, a woman was found shot and later succumbed to her injuries. Authorities believe this was an act of intimate partner violence, and they tied the abduction of the child to that homicide. That link transformed a missing-child case into a violent crime investigation sweeping multiple communities.
As investigators raced to find Anthony, they issued urgent alerts across Fort Erie and surrounding areas. Residents near Prospect Point and Ridgeway Road were told to shelter in place, to lock their doors and windows, and to not open doors to unknown individuals. Niagara Regional Police stressed that the suspect could be in their vicinity.
Here’s how the suspect is described:
Name: Anthony Deschepper, 38
Appearance: White male, about 5′9″, clean-shaven, brown hair
Clothing: Blue hoodie, blue jeans, carrying a black crossbody bag
Vehicle: Black 2024 Nissan Kicks, Quebec licence plate FRV4520
Considered armed and dangerous
Peel Regional Police confirmed that the abduction and homicide are linked, and that Anthony is considered highly volatile. Again, authorities warn: do not approach him. If anyone spots him or the vehicle, they’re urged to call 911 immediately, providing location details and descriptions without intervening personally.
With the child now safe, the focus has shifted entirely to finding Anthony. Police say they’re scouring surveillance footage, canvassing witnesses, and coordinating across jurisdictions. The community remains on alert, especially in zones near Niagara.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates from law enforcement as they close in on the suspect and piece together exactly what led to this tragic chain of events.