The Durham Region mom wanted for child abduction has finally been charged.
Cops say Astrid Marianne Schiller, 54, of Clarington has been charged with three counts of abduction by parent and disobeying a lawful court order.
Schiller was arrested by DRPS detectives for child abduction in Brandon, Manitoba on a Canada-Wide warrant.
The school crusader allegedly vanished with her three young boys — Leon, 12; Christopher, 11; and Thomas, 9 — in November 2023 but police did not become involved until December. By that time, Schiller, believed to be aided and abetted by alleged accomplices, was in the wind.
Cops described the investigation into the alleged abductions as “complex.” Initially, cops say, she cooperated with investigators and then cut off contact.
“Throughout the investigation there were no safety concerns for the children and numerous efforts had been made to locate them,” police said in a statement. “Investigators had been in contact with the mother, however were unable to locate her or the children. The female stopped cooperating with police leading investigators to issue a Canada-wide warrant for her arrest.”
The statement added: “On Oct. 2, 2024, members of the DRPS Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), and Offender Management Unit (OMU), travelled to Manitoba and took custody of the female. The female was re-arrested by DRPS investigators and transported back to Ontario.”
On June 16, Schiller attempted to enter the United States at the Boissevain port of entry. Her children had been reported missing from Ontario and she was detained — momentarily. The kids were taken into care at a local foster home.
But in a massive bungle, Schiller was released and then allegedly snatched the three boys from foster care. Her vehicle was later found abandoned in Saskatchewan.
Schiller was finally run to ground last week in tiny Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask. where she was allegedly hiding in a women’s shelter. As the Toronto Sun first reported, Schiller has been moving from shelter to shelter across the Prairies with her children.
Her three young children were with her, safe but bewildered.
Cops were tipped off two weeks ago that Schiller was holed up in Fort Qu’Appelle. She was arrested for child abduction.
She was then taken to Brandon, Man., in handcuffs and remains behind bars. Her three sons are now back in Ontario and are being reunited with their father.
The health food huckster is a parents rights activist opposed to a wide array of health and educational initiatives. She has called school board battles a “demonic war.”
Schiller is being held for a bail hearing.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact A/Det. Duguay of the East Division Criminal Investigations Branch at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1642 Anonymous information can be sent to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
@HunterTOSun