Moncton, N.B., Walmart workers recognized for help in U.S. child abduction case
Moncton, N.B., Walmart workers recognized for help in U.S. child abduction case
It should have just been a regular shift, but instead, it turned into a day employees at a Walmart in Moncton, N.B., will never forget -- the day six-year-old JoJo Morales was found.
“I was so nervous,” said Ajay Gabani, the customer service manager at the Walmart. “But at the end of the day, it was the right thing to do, and I feel proud of myself and the team.”
The young boy from Miami, Fla., had been the subject of an amber alert since August.
A customer spotted the child at the Moncton Walmart in October and alerted store staff who kept him close by until police arrived.
“I just had the two associates who came to me actually put their backs to the isle, just to make sure that if it was him we weren’t in any way going to scare him off,” said Michele Lewis the assistant manager.
“Then, I just proceeded to watch his actions, where he was going, what he was doing -- just keeping an eye on him.”
Police were looking for the child, along with his father and his paternal grandmother who have since been taken into custody.
“Our major crime unit has been in contact with them after we took them into custody,” explained Supt. Benoit Jolette with Codiac RCMP.
“We basically stopped at the point where we took the family into custody. But yes, there has been regular communication. Even since the onset since August we were already aware that there was the potential that they were here in New Brunswick. Because I believe the vehicle was found near the New Brunswick border.”
The employees recognized the boy and his father, but other red flags stood out as well.
“He came to get a sim card and when I asked for his name, he flubbered for a second. And when I asked for his address, what we need to put on file, he needed to look it up on the phone,” said Sardhak Sojidra, a sales associate in electronics.
Now, with JoJo safely at home with his mom again, the celebration continues in Moncton. On Wednesday, RCMP officers handed out certificates of appreciation to those involved.
“When there’s a certain file or a job that’s been done a little bit out of the extraordinary, we like to give these certificates,” said Jolette. “Usually, it’s for employees. I’ve never handed out anything to any civilian.”
He says it was an act to highlight the crucial role they played that day.
“Without their actions, that young boy could still be out there somewhere missing from his family,” he said.
It was an unexpected series of events that left everyone feeling proud as they reflect on the day.
“This is not a normal situation by any means, it was something that when you think to integrity and you think about doing the right thing, they exhibited every single moment,” said co-manager Natasha Keeling.
Adding, “they saw, they listened and they took action and that’s really what it was all about so I’m super proud of the team.”
It’s bound to be a day that they won’t soon forget.
“That feeling is amazing. It’s, I cannot describe it,” said Gabani.
U.S. President Joe Biden is using his State of the Union address Tuesday night to call on Republicans to work with him to 'finish the job' of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he seeks to overcome pessimism in the country and navigate political divisions in Washington.
After raising interest rates eight consecutive times, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told an audience in Quebec City on Tuesday that inflation is showing signs of 'turning the corner' and that the coming year 'will be different.'
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
While much of internet is still buzzing about the wonders of ChatGPT, a Toronto-based technology and visual effects company is making its own splash in Hollywood using artificial intelligence.
As negotiations continue between premiers and the federal government, former Quebec premier Jean Charest is criticizing the feds' string-attached approach to health-care funding, stating that Ottawa should not be in the business of operating health-care systems.
We may soon be able to detect humidity levels, respiratory changes or a too-wet diaper, all with a new type of sensor — one created by drawing with a pencil on specially-treated paper.
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
A 24-year-old man now linked to an unusual string of crimes that kept the Dallas Zoo on the lookout for missing animals told police that after he swiped two monkeys from their enclosure, he took them onto the city's light rail system to make his getaway, court records show.
Balloons and drones were among 768 reported UFO sightings in Canada last year, according to Winnipeg-based researcher Chris Rutkowski, who also found that eight per cent of all cases remained unexplained.
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
Meaghan Maloney of London, Ont. said she was driving on her way to work, along Highway 401, in her 2023 Nissan Rogue when the sunroof shattered without warning.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her concerns with the federal government's proposed 'just transition' legislation directly to the prime minister on Tuesday, saying she hopes the two can find some common ground.
If Alberta accepts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal health proposal, it would see, on average, $2.5 billion over the next 10 years, in line with population growth.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
Quebec interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay says that in wanting to close Roxham Road to prevent irregular entry of asylum seekers into Quebec, the Parti Québécois and its leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon are behaving like Donald Trump.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her concerns with the federal government's proposed 'just transition' legislation directly to the prime minister on Tuesday, saying she hopes the two can find some common ground.
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
A special weather statement is in effect for most of the southern Ontario. A strong low pressure system will bring rain that is heavy at times to London-Middlesex and surrounding areas beginning early Thursday morning.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
There is a new sign of financial issues with an Ottawa construction company that suddenly closed, leaving customers with unfinished projects unable to recoup their losses.
Robyn Silvernagle will be making her third appearance at the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts next week in Kamloops, BC, just weeks after her team was put together.
Residents at a downtown Saskatoon apartment complex are speaking out about what they say are unreasonable rent increases and a lack of attention to building repairs.
While some premiers are calling the health-care offer presented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday "disappointing," B.C.'s David Eby stopped short of that characterization.
At 2:18 Run in Victoria, Phil Nicholls is wondering what an economic slowdown might mean for his small business specializing in high-end sneakers and clothing.
A forensic pathologist offered her expert opinion on how Catlin Goodwill’s three-month-old son died suddenly in October 2017, during testimony on the second day of trial.
A Victoria man says a series of devastating earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria have left him feeling nearly paralyzed, as the death toll from the quakes rises above 6,200 people.
