Parents of abandoned baby Angelica Leslie arrested

Toronto police have arrested a 30-year-old couple and charged them with abandoning their baby girl in a freezing parking lot in north Toronto in January.

The couple — the parents of the little girl who has come to be known as Angelica Leslie — were arrested Wednesday night in Kitchener, west of Toronto.

"One of the tips that came in led us to investigate a couple that, at the time, lived in the North York area. We were able to find them in Kitchener and as a result, last night, we arrested a male and a female — both of them 30 years of age. They're married, and we've charged them with four charges under the Criminal Code. 

"One of them is certainly abandoning a child under the age of 10, failing to provide the necessities of life, assault causing bodily harm and criminal negligence," said Det. Keith Moxley, who headed the investigation. 

Moxley said it was a "collaboration of evidence that leads us to them being the biological parents."

Police said the couple lived in North York in January at the time the baby was found in a parking garage stairwell when the temperature was –14 C. The couple moved to Kitchener in April.

The brown-eyed girl was found face down on freezing concrete. It's believed she was on the ground for about two hours before being discovered by a passerby. She had minor cuts and bruises on her face but has since recovered.

Toronto police released security video of a green car seen in the parking lot and put out video information on YouTube and Facebook asking for the public's help. 

They also asked Crime Stoppers to distribute information across Canada and the United States. 

Tip from public led to arrests

Moxley told a news conference on Thursday that one of the tips paid off.

"The tip was almost identical to many others that we followed up, and it was just strictly ... 'You might want to take a look at this family. They have children that look like the baby in the picture and they drive a green Ford Escort.'"

Angelica Leslie, who is thought to be about 11 months old, is being cared for by a foster family.

Police have not revealed the identity of the parents, in order to protect the identity of the child. But they said there is more to the case and the investigation is not over.

"We have not finished the investigation. The reasons why haven't been discovered yet. And so when you say, 'Why did they do that?' I can't go there. I don't know."  

Moxley said the parents had been interviewed by police "twice, each" beginning "early in the month of March." 

He said the couple are known to police, but do not have criminal records.

The couple were scheduled to make their first court appearance on Thursday.