Daniel Lalonde, 61, of Alfred, has been charged with the first-degree murder of Jacqueline Rouleau, 41, of Hawkesbury.
He was in court Tuesday for a bail hearing, but the proceedings were postponed until October 4, when he’ll appear in court via video link from Ottawa, says OPP spokesperson Mario Gratton.
Police searched for Lalonde, referred to as “armed and dangerous,” on Thursday evening, after a shot was heard in the rural area of Concession 5 in Alfred at about 2:15 p.m. Police dogs and helicopters were involved in the search, and police warned people to stay away from the area. Lalonde was arrested at the Vieux Chateau restaurant in Hawkesbury later in the evening.
The victim, Rouleau, was facing drug-related charges after her arrest in Vankleek Hill for marijuana production in February, and her subsequent arrest in August in Alfred-Plantagenet on similar charges. In February, Rouleau said she called 911 to her building on Terry Fox Drive after it was broken into in the night and she was assaulted, an experience she called “horrific.” She said police officers who responded could smell marijuana and later came back with a warrant for the building, which led to her being arrested and charged. In August, Gratton said the police hadn’t arrested or charged anyone in relation to that alleged robbery.
Rouleau had not been convicted and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, September 27, for a pre-trial hearing.
A post-mortem was to be performed on Friday, but OPP spokesperson Mario Gratton said he could not provide any more details about what caused her death. Police “do not believe domestic violence played a role” in Rouleau’s death.
Police say Jacqueline Rouleau, 41, was murdered last week. She is seen here in a photo originally published in The Review in February, 2016.
Lalonde’s first bail hearing was delayed on Friday afternoon. The CBC reports Lalonde left the courtroom on a stretcher and was brought away by ambulance.
