Alleged Kirkland kidnapper set for a bail hearing

An Ontario man who was until recently a patient at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre is facing a bail hearing tomorrow after an alleged kidnapping attempt of a six-year-old girl at Wal-Mart in Kirkland Sunday afternoon.

"The (mother) was shopping with her six-year-old daughter," explained Montreal police media relations officer Raphaël Bergeron.

He said the mother lost sight of her child for a few seconds, only to turn around and see her screaming as a stranger grabbed her by the hand and hair and tried to take her with him.

The mother's reaction scared him off, and he was caught by police on the corner of St. Charles and St. Marie not too far from the store, Bergeron added.

Royal Ottawa communications director Christina Selin confirmed the man in question was indeed a patient at the centre. "There is a lot that I can't say," she added, regarding suspect Michael Fisher, 35.

She confirmed a court order for his return had been issued following a demand by the centre before yesterday's incident.

Bergeron said Fisher's past will be taken into account. "We will be asking for a psychiatric evaluation," he said.