Saskatoon woman facing charges in U.S., Canada

Mom, son reported missing found safe in Oregon after illegal border crossing

SASKATOON A woman who was reported missing with her sevenyear-old son is facing criminal charges in Canada and the United States.

Saskatoon police said they have charged Dawn Marie Walker, 38, with public mischief and parental abduction in contravention of a custody order.

They said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has also charged her with the felony offence of knowingly producing a passport of another person and a misdemeanour charge of possessing identification that was stolen or produced illegally.

Walker and her son were reported missing last month, but police said they were found safe in Oregon City on Friday after allegedly crossing the border illegally.

The boy was returned to Canada on Sunday after a legal guardian picked him up, police said

Walker remains in custody in Oregon, where she was scheduled to appear in court on Monday on the U.S. charges. Saskatoon police said officials are working to extradite her back to Canada to face the other offences.

“As the criminal investigation progresses, there may be further charges that Ms. Walker will face as a result,” Saskatoon police Deputy Chief Randy Huisman said Monday.

“Investigators are looking at several different charges, and in relation to the false identity documents that were alluded to, and how she was able to prepare those documents.”

Police said they began searching for Walker and her son on July 24 after friends reported them missing.

Her red Ford F-150 truck had been found abandoned days earlier at Chief Whitecap Park, just south of Saskatoon, along with some of her personal belongings.

RCMP assisted in searching the South Saskatchewan River near the park, using land, air and water crews, while providing daily updates to Walker’s family who attended the searches.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, where Walker worked as its chief executive officer, had organized a vigil and walks through the park to raise awareness about the disappearance.

The federation also issued its own Amber Alert for Walker and her son, and asked the police to do the same.