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“I truly want to smile about this because it’s not very often that these types of things happen in these types of investigations, frankly.”

Kienan was taken from his home early Wednesday morning.

On Saturday, the Heberts issued an emotional plea through media asking the man responsible to leave the toddler in a safe, visible place.

Less than a day later, at about 3 a.m. on Sunday, the abductor returned to the site of the kidnapping and left Kienan there, police said. The Hebert home was empty at the time as the family was staying with friends nearby. The abductor then called 911 to inform police of the child’s whereabouts.

As the community has only one road in or out, driving to the Hebert house would have required passing the search and rescue command post located at the entrance to the suburb. The new neighbourhood is a mixture of empty houses, lawns and dirt lots. Located on a flat landscape, it is not protected by any fences, mature trees or shrubs.

Yet the abductor managed to return Kienan and then inform emergency services.

Police do not have a suspect in custody.

Moskaluk would not say whether the Hebert home was under surveillance when the child was returned.

“With respect to the abductor placing the child back in the home undetected, is a very chilling prospect,” he said.

Police have set up road checks on the roads and highways leading in and out of Sparwood. They’ve stopped cars and trucks to check trunks and compartments.

Through the media, Moskaluk asked Hopley to get in touch with police.

“We need to speak to you. It’s very, very important that we speak to you, Randy. Our main concern now is for you to contact us,” he said.

Police are still searching for Hopley and his vehicle, a 1987 brown Toyota Camry.

For now, he said, the news is happy.

“We’ve got a child returned. I’ve never been able to say that,” Moskaluk said.

The family is expected to speak Sunday afternoon.

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