Two Dominican children remain missing in Canada as the search for their father continues

Scot MacDermid and his children Lesley and George remain missing thirteen days after their disappearance. (Edmonton Police) The Edmonton Police in Canada issued nationwide arrest warrants for Scot MacDermid, 42, over the disappearance of his children, George and Lesley, who are of Dominican origin. The man faces two charges of alleged abduction in violation of a custody order. The children are 6 and 9 years old and have not been located since August 28, when they were seen with their father at Manning Town Centre mall in northeast Edmonton. According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), the warrants against MacDermid were issued on September 23. Court records indicate that the formal charge was filed on September 4 for the abduction of two minors under 14 years of age against custody provisions. Police stated that the father and the two minors were seen in Lloydminster at around 6:30 p.m. on August 28. Since then, authorities have not determined the route they took or where they might be. At the time of that sighting, MacDermid was accompanied by another man. Officers identified and interviewed that person, and as a result removed a photograph of him that they had released in an initial alert. A man walks alongside two children on a dirt path in the border area between the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, in Canada. (Illustrative image Infobae) The EPS specified that the investigation does not currently meet the requirements for issuing an Amber Alert. To activate that mechanism in Canada, investigators must have reasons to believe that an abduction occurred and that the child faces imminent physical risk. "Finding Lesley and George remains our top priority," said Sergeant Robert Davis of the Edmonton Police Child Protection Section. The official stated that officers continue working to locate the children "safe and sound." The disappearance comes after a custody dispute between MacDermid and the children's mother, whose identity was not disclosed by Canadian authorities. According to court documents cited by local media, the father claimed in 2024 that the woman had illegally moved the minors from the Dominican Republic to Canada. A court ruled in the mother's favor and established that the children's habitual residence was in Edmonton. MacDermid appealed that decision, but the appeal was rejected on June 14, 2024. Court records indicate that the couple married in Edmonton in 2016 and lived both in that Canadian city and in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The final separation occurred on June 26, 2023. The ruling also noted that MacDermid was born and raised in Canada, where he has businesses and commercial interests in Alberta and the Dominican Republic. The mother was born and raised in Dominican territory, although she has resided permanently in Canada since 2018. A judge's gavel placed among paper figures illustrates a divorce process and the assignment of child custody. (Illustrative image Infobae) MacDermid is approximately 1.65 m tall and weighs about 73 kg. He has brown hair and blue eyes. George is about 1.27 m tall and Lesley is 1.32 m; both have brown hair and brown eyes. Police warned that anyone who sees them should not approach. They also asked that anyone with information about their possible location contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers.