Babysitter faces new charge after baby found alone in burning Montreal apartment

MONTREAL — A woman who allegedly left a baby alone in a Montreal apartment that caught fire is facing a new charge of obstructing police work.

Josee Milot pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday to the obstruction charge before her lawyer told reporters he would seek an addiction therapy treatment for her.

“It’s a problem that seems to be recurring and my client would like to treat it,” said lawyer Antonio Cabral.

Montreal police believe Milot started cooking something on the stove in the wee hours Thursday and then left the apartment when she was meant to be acting as the baby girl’s temporary guardian.

A police unit working nearby crawled through heavy smoke to save the infant.

Milot pleaded not guilty last Friday to three charges: unlawfully abandoning a child, criminal negligence causing a fire, and failing to provide the necessities of life to a child.

Milot, 49, was ordered detained over the long weekend after the Crown opposed bail.

A bail hearing set for Tuesday was put off and the case returns to court on Sept. 11, by when Cabral hopes to know if therapy is something that can be proposed to the court.

“Before we know about therapy, bail will not be requested by the defence,” Cabral said. “She had pending cases which were on the docket for a while and she didn’t come back to court to address those cases, so it makes it more difficult to have her get out on bail for now.”

The new charge stems from Milot allegedly giving police a fake name following her arrest after the fire, said Crown prosecutor Roxane Laporte.

Cabral said he met with Milot briefly Tuesday and that she was still very shaken.

“She realizes that she’s facing very serious charges,” Cabral said, adding one of her first questions was about the baby’s health.

The child suffered smoke inhalation, as did several police officers, but all survived.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press