HAMILTON -- A 16-year-old boy is in custody following an hours-long stand-off with police after a 22-month-old girl was found inside a Hamilton home with "traumatic injuries" early Wednesday morning.
Police were called to the property on Rymal Road East, near Dakota Boulevard around 3:30 a.m., after the child was discovered injured by neighbours.
Tara Young told CTV News Toronto that she called police after the injured girl, a young boy, and a teenager showed up on her doorstep, pleading for assistance.
“There was a woman at the door with two small children screaming 'help.' There was a gentleman out there that was after them," she said. “We stopped the bleeding as much as we could," she said.
The young girl had slashes to her face, body, arm and back, Young said.
Hamilton paramedics said that when they arrived, they transported a child with “traumatic” injuries to hospital where she remains in stable and non-life threatening condition.
Two doors down from where Young lives, a teenager had barricaded himself inside a home.
Police had been negotiating with him for about eight hours, when they were able to "safely secure" the suspect just after 11:30 a.m. Tactical officers were seen using a battering ram to breach the door, before carrying the teenager out with his hands and feet tied.
"When we have a barricaded person in a residence, time is on our side. We're not going to rush any situation and force the hand of the person in that position," Hamilton Police Constable Jerome Stewart said. "They're obviously in need of assistance, and that is the number one goal, is to get to that person, and to get that person out safely, and not to bring injury to them or anybody else involved."
Police wouldn't confirm the relationship between the teen and the toddler but said they are "known to each other."
Police said the teenager may have suffered a minor injury. He has been transported to hospital to be examined.
Forensic investigators and police officers remained at the scene Wednesday as the investigation continues.
