CANADA Canada - Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou, 10, Montreal, 12 March 2018

[Hazel]

I did wonder though Ariel seemed fine about being cut off and not going to the football whether he brooded about it. Children of that age seem adept at hiding things. My grandson would have been very upset about the football and he is 13.

One of my children is into soccer, he started playing since he was very young, he plays recreational and competitive, local and out of city tournaments, practices, yes, I'm a soccer mom. That's why Ariel's case has captured my interest. My son plays soccer all year round, indoor soccer on turf (artificial grass) in winter, with indoor soccer shoes, and cleats on real grass.

He is also a video-games player, plays hours both by himself, with friends, and online with players from all over the world. So again that's why Ariel reminds me so much of him. My son is also very polite, obedient, and just a good kid overall, much like how Ariel's dad described him.

Did I ever take away his video games? Yes, once, but I noticed that he started going out with friends outdoors a lot more, and I had to go out taking the little ones with me, looking for him everywhere, because they were not were they said they would be. Found them in the most bizarre place once, and another time, they had crossed the train tracks and gone to a total different area. It was a bunch of kids, he wasn't alone, but yet I worried so much, I decided he was better off at home playing video games. His grades were mostly "As" and a few "B+" and he excelled at Math, so his gaming wasn't affecting his grades.

We've never threatened him with taking away soccer, nor tournaments. On the contrary, we always encouraged and supported all sports he likes.
So, like you, I think Ariel would have been devastated if he wasn't allowed to participate in the soccer tournament, not only because he had trained for it, but also he could feel he was letting the other team players down. JMO

 

[carbuff]

One of my children is into soccer, he started playing since he was very young, he plays recreational and competitive, local and out of city tournaments, practices, yes, I'm a soccer mom. That's why Ariel's case has captured my interest. My son plays soccer all year round, indoor soccer on turf (artificial grass) in winter, with indoor soccer shoes, and cleats on real grass.

He is also a video-games player, plays hours both by himself, with friends, and online with players from all over the world. So again that's why Ariel reminds me so much of him. My son is also very polite, obedient, and just a good kid overall, much like how Ariel's dad described him.

Did I ever take away his video games? Yes, once, but I noticed that he started going out with friends outdoors a lot more, and I had to go out taking the little ones with me, looking for him everywhere, because they were not were they said they would be. Found them in the most bizarre place once, and another time, they had crossed the train tracks and gone to a total different area. It was a bunch of kids, he wasn't alone, but yet I worried so much, I decided he was better off at home playing video games. His grades were mostly "As" and a few "B+" and he excelled at Math, so his gaming wasn't affecting his grades.

We've never threatened him with taking away soccer, nor tournaments. On the contrary, we always encouraged and supported all sports he likes.
So, like you, I think Ariel would have been devastated if he wasn't allowed to participate in the soccer tournament, not only because he had trained for it, but also he could feel he was letting the other team players down. JMO

My boys were like that too, 25 years ago. Yeah, the whole situation is concerning. Boys that age take things so seriously. I don't mean anybody did anything wrong or missed any signs, whatever that means, but if he was concerned about the situation he might not have been as careful as usual, or he might have been trying to think and wandered farther than he meant to, or something like that.

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[Phei]

One of my children is into soccer, he started playing since he was very young, he plays recreational and competitive, local and out of city tournaments, practices, yes, I'm a soccer mom. That's why Ariel's case has captured my interest. My son plays soccer all year round, indoor soccer on turf (artificial grass) in winter, with indoor soccer shoes, and cleats on real grass.

He is also a video-games player, plays hours both by himself, with friends, and online with players from all over the world. So again that's why Ariel reminds me so much of him. My son is also very polite, obedient, and just a good kid overall, much like how Ariel's dad described him.

Did I ever take away his video games? Yes, once, but I noticed that he started going out with friends outdoors a lot more, and I had to go out taking the little ones with me, looking for him everywhere, because they were not were they said they would be. Found them in the most bizarre place once, and another time, they had crossed the train tracks and gone to a total different area. It was a bunch of kids, he wasn't alone, but yet I worried so much, I decided he was better off at home playing video games. His grades were mostly "As" and a few "B+" and he excelled at Math, so his gaming wasn't affecting his grades.

We've never threatened him with taking away soccer, nor tournaments. On the contrary, we always encouraged and supported all sports he likes.
So, like you, I think Ariel would have been devastated if he wasn't allowed to participate in the soccer tournament, not only because he had trained for it, but also he could feel he was letting the other team players down. JMO

This made me so sad. Poor Ariel.

 

[rosesfromangels]

IMO, Mr. Kouakou is demonstrating good parenting by taking the video games away from Ariel. As a teacher, Mr. Kouakou not only teaches subject matter, but he teaches children impulse control, responsibility, and consequences.
Entitled children who are not taught consequences often times have great difficulty holding a job, taking care of themselves, or navigating life in general. They usually end up living at home for a very long time, and seem to get in to one scrape after another.

Mr. Kouakou, by all accounts, is a highly respected teacher and community member. The respect he has earned, no doubt extends to the manner in which he has raised Ariel, and the lessons has taught him about responsibility, such as completing his school tasks.

As far as where this dear boy is, the expert authorities believe he is in the water. Statistics would agree, and it is most likely the child will eventually be found. However, as Mr. Kouakou points out emphatically, there is no *absolute* evidence the child entered the water. As such, I agree with the father that other avenues must be explored as well.

The area where Ariel disappeared is high density living. I am interested in any locals who can tell us more about the demographics of the residents living in that immediate area.
Is this where tech workers live who work at a big company near by? Is this a blue collar area? Student area? Known as being reasonably safe? Who would come in to this area, and for what reason? (Aside from visiting a friend). What type of business or services would they be going to?

Emphasis that the above is my *opinion* only.
Interested in additional info from the locals.
Thank you.

 

[silverjug]

IMO, Mr. Kouakou is demonstrating good parenting by taking the video games away from Ariel. As a teacher, Mr. Kouakou not only teaches subject matter, but he teaches children impulse control, responsibility, and consequences.
Entitled children who are not taught consequences often times have great difficulty holding a job, taking care of themselves, or navigating life in general. They usually end up living at home for a very long time, and seem to get in to one scrape after another.

Mr. Kouakou, by all accounts, is a highly respected teacher and community member. The respect he has earned, no doubt extends to the manner in which he has raised Ariel, and the lessons has taught him about responsibility, such as completing his school tasks.

As far as where this dear boy is, the expert authorities believe he is in the water. Statistics would agree, and it is most likely the child will eventually be found. However, as Mr. Kouakou points out emphatically, there is no *absolute* evidence the child entered the water. As such, I agree with the father that other avenues must be explored as well.

The area where Ariel disappeared is high density living. I am interested in any locals who can tell us more about the demographics of the residents living in that immediate area.
Is this where tech workers live who work at a big company near by? Is this a blue collar area? Student area? Known as being reasonably safe? Who would come in to this area, and for what reason? (Aside from visiting a friend). What type of business or services would they be going to?

Emphasis that the above is my *opinion* only.
Interested in additional info from the locals.
Thank you.

Yes, and my post was my thoughts/opinions.

 

[eucalyptuz]

I drove through the area just a few days ago because I wanted to see if there was any ice left in the river now that Spring has finally reached us in Montreal.
I wouldn’t describe the area as high-density living, but that would be in comparison with the rest of the city of Montreal which is a city with compact living situations. And, there are those blocks of apartments where Ariel’s friend lives that skew the demographics a bit because most houses in the immediate area are single family or good-sized duplexes or triplexes. Homeowners here would be upper working class to middle class and some of the properties backing up to the river would be pretty pricey. I did not feel unsafe and had it not been raining, I would not have been uncomfortable to walk the whole area. The restaurant car park was full and there was Ariel’s MP flyer taped to the entrance.

I drove the route Ariel walked and a few things occurred to me:
-Gouin blvd is a single lane in each direction with No parking...as such, it’s difficult to pull over. I tried to slow down to see if there was a another camera at the garage directed towards the area with the green box, but I was unable to get a good look as there is just no place to stop without disturbing traffic flow.
-it really is a short, direct hop between the two boys homes...I think we can be confident Ariel did not get lost or become disoriented after leaving his friend’s.
-I don’t find an abduction from the park likely as there is just nowhere to park...so that would leave a handful of nearby residents as the only ones to have opportunity...

 

[rosesfromangels]

-I don’t find an abduction from the park likely as there is just nowhere to park...so that would leave a handful of nearby residents as the only ones to have opportunity...

Respectfully snipped...

Thank you so much, this is very helpful.
Based on your assessment (again thank you!), the RCMP should be able to do round 2 interviews with a very focused group. I hope that happens right away.

 

[Hazel]

I drove through the area just a few days ago because I wanted to see if there was any ice left in the river now that Spring has finally reached us in Montreal.
I wouldn’t describe the area as high-density living, but that would be in comparison with the rest of the city of Montreal which is a city with compact living situations. And, there are those blocks of apartments where Ariel’s friend lives that skew the demographics a bit because most houses in the immediate area are single family or good-sized duplexes or triplexes. Homeowners here would be upper working class to middle class and some of the properties backing up to the river would be pretty pricey. I did not feel unsafe and had it not been raining, I would not have been uncomfortable to walk the whole area. The restaurant car park was full and there was Ariel’s MP flyer taped to the entrance.

I drove the route Ariel walked and a few things occurred to me:
-Gouin blvd is a single lane in each direction with No parking...as such, it’s difficult to pull over. I tried to slow down to see if there was a another camera at the garage directed towards the area with the green box, but I was unable to get a good look as there is just no place to stop without disturbing traffic flow.
-it really is a short, direct hop between the two boys homes...I think we can be confident Ariel did not get lost or become disoriented after leaving his friend’s.
-I don’t find an abduction from the park likely as there is just nowhere to park...so that would leave a handful of nearby residents as the only ones to have opportunity...

:tyou: so much eucalyptuz!

Regarding the camera(s) at the Garage, I included 2 CCTV on the Map. I'm not good at doing maps, they are very amateurish, but I do my best to make them as accurate as the information I have at the moment, until new updated map.

I don't know for sure if there are 2 CCTV cameras there, or perhaps it could be one of those dual-cameras, like for example this one:
(click for image): http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00bBTECGdwEFcY/Dual-CCD-Waterproof-IR-CCTV-Camera-TGL-A706-.jpg

On the videos released by LE, I noticed that it says "Camera 2" and "Camera 5", so that's why I put 2 CCTV cameras on the Map.

Camera 2 shows the green bin in the park.

I put 2 CCTV at the house, at the corner of Gouin, based on what Google Street View shows.
(see post #576 for screenshots)

Post #576: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...ontreal-12-March-2018&p=14014058#post14014058

 

[casesensitive]

Hazel, I beg to differ, I think your maps are amazing. They have really helped me put things in perspective re locations, distances etc. etc. Thank you for all of your efforts.

 

[eucalyptuz]

Hazel, I beg to differ, I think your maps are amazing. They have really helped me put things in perspective re locations, distances etc. etc. Thank you for all of your efforts.

I agree! Hazel your maps are fab. There is nothing better where following a case than someone pulling together all the geographic info and putting it on a map...Merci Hazel.

And yes, I was sure there must have been a second camera angle from the garage after they released the two clips in the early days. I guess when they were initially scrutinizing the footage they were not paying attention to the far side of the road. I think a lot of heartbreak and uncertainty could have been avoided if Ariel had been identified as entering the park during those early crucial investigations.

 

[Hazel]

:blushing: Aww, thank you kindly casesensitive and eucalyptuz

 

[Breamworthy]

Thinking along the lines of Brandon Crisp's disappearance.
We had a thread here on Websleuths for him, with all the details and links, but looks like the thread has been removed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Ki2IrG0b0

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Brandon_Crisp

My apologies, Hazel, for asking you to clarify this further. I understand you were trying to be sensitive to anyone who knows the family and is on this thread. My understanding is that, in the case of Brandon Crisp, his death was accidental as a result of being somewhere he probably shouldn't have been (and falling out of a tree far away from any help) after running away from home due to his parents cutting off video games. I don't know that I see huge similarities, because I believe he was very powerfully wrapped up in the world of online gaming and don't get that sense about Ariel… But even if we do draw a connection, wouldn't that support the LE notion that Ariel fell in the water? (I.e. death by misadventure, due to a venturing somewhere they shouldn't have been.)

I am still not fully understanding how this relates to the train tracks. I am guessing perhaps you are suggesting some different form of misadventure relating to trains and not the river…? I think we can be certain he was not hit by a train. I grew up in Toronto near train tracks, and sadly recall a number of occasions in my youth when people were hit on these tracks. I recall how much publicity there was around this, and how extensive the investigations were – I can't imagine something like this happening without anyone knowing.

I expect I am probably missing/misunderstanding your point. Thanks to you and all of those providing such excellent resources on this thread.

 

[Hazel]

My apologies, Hazel, for asking you to clarify this further. I understand you were trying to be sensitive to anyone who knows the family and is on this thread. My understanding is that, in the case of Brandon Crisp, his death was accidental as a result of being somewhere he probably shouldn't have been (and falling out of a tree far away from any help) after running away from home due to his parents cutting off video games. I don't know that I see huge similarities, because I believe he was very powerfully wrapped up in the world of online gaming and don't get that sense about Ariel… But even if we do draw a connection, wouldn't that support the LE notion that Ariel fell in the water? (I.e. death by misadventure, due to a venturing somewhere they shouldn't have been.)

I am still not fully understanding how this relates to the train tracks. I am guessing perhaps you are suggesting some different form of misadventure relating to trains and not the river…? I think we can be certain he was not hit by a train. I grew up in Toronto near train tracks, and sadly recall a number of occasions in my youth when people were hit on these tracks. I recall how much publicity there was around this, and how extensive the investigations were – I can't imagine something like this happening without anyone knowing.

I expect I am probably missing/misunderstanding your point. Thanks to you and all of those providing such excellent resources on this thread.

rbbm.
Not that it is likely at all for one of these two things to have happened, but, what if JK had purposely jumped or someone pushed him into the river?
speculation, imo.

No, not hit by a train. Exploring all other possible scenarios, at that point we didn't know which way Ariel went from the green bin. Now we've been told he went west, the opposite direction of the bridge. If you check the maps, you'll see the green bin is very close to the train tracks, which connects to a small island, then continues and connects to the north part of the city. It's a bridge.

Images showing police searching for Ariel around the bridge area:

1) see image here: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/20...iciers-sattaquent-a-la-glace-sur-la-riviere-1

2) other image: https://postmediamontrealgazette2.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/0314-city-missing4.jpg

3) another image: https://shawglobalnews.files.wordpr...0.jpg?quality=70&strip=all&w=720&h=480&crop=1

4) another one: https://media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/308/295/MissingBoy.png

5) one more: http://storage.tvanouvelles.ca/v1/d...e_16x9_WEB.jpg?quality=80&size=371x&version=3

This image source, courtesy of: http://www.lapresse.ca/voyage/desti...0175-cinq-randonnees-accessibles-en-metro.php

(Google street view image)

Left of picture: green bin (Google street view image)

 

[Hazel]

:bump: for Ariel, he is still not found.
I was listening to this old news interview of Ariel's dad, and just learned that Ariel usually went to school daycare after school, and was picked up at 6 pm, then they picked up the young daughter at her daycare. Also learned that Ariel has a big brother, I wonder if it's the guy that spoke during that last press conference (sitting besides Mr. Kouakou).

transcript of translator:
(around the 07:00 mark)

"Yesterday, and I just want to share that with you,
I went to get her at the daycare
We still have our daily routines, but yesterday when I went to get her at the daycare, after that we always go and get my son [Ariel], because he is out of the school daycare at six, so we always we go and pick him after, so after I come back from work, I went to, you know, we actually go, the reverse actually, we go get Ariel and then my daughter, and then she asks me .... "

(around 07:49 mark):

"... and today I got a message from Yves, big brother who doesn't live with us anymore, he is in an apartment, and he says: "Dad, .... "

https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1354276&binId=1.810401&playlistId=1.3853912

 

[katydid23]

Bumping for Ariel....:candle:

 

[Phei]

https://translate.google.ca/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journaldemontreal.com%2F2018%2F05%2F09%2Fdisparu-a-montreal-depuis-pres-de-deux-mois-nouvelle-initiative-pour-retrouver-le-petit-ariel&edit-text=

[url]http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/05/09/disparu-a-montreal-depuis-pres-de-deux-mois-nouvelle-initiative-pour-retrouver-le-petit-ariel
[/URL]

 

[Hazel]

New awareness campaign for missing Montreal boy Ariel Kouakou
May 9, 2018 7:57PM EDT

It’s been nearly two months since the family of a missing Montreal boy last saw their loved one, but they haven’t given up the search and now plan to ramp up the awareness campaign.

The family of Ariel Kouakou, 10, have set up two billboards in their neighbourhood of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que., and added several new posters in hopes of alerting someone who might know the whereabouts of their son.

Kouakou says he's in contact with the police, but they have thus far been unable to confirm his theory as to what happened to his son.

“From the beginning that’s what we’ve been saying…our kid’s been kidnapped,” he said.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/new-a...-missing-montreal-boy-ariel-kouakou-1.3923003

 

[Hazel]

Missing Children’s Network, borough announce new efforts in search for Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou
May 10, 2018

Walking along a busy boulevard, Kouadio Frédéric Kouakou approached the newly-erected billboard, lifted his hand and extended his arm out to touch his son’s smiling face.

Standing next to him, his wife, Akouena Noëlla Bibie — mother of missing 10-year-old Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou — buried her face in his chest.

Bibie had been quiet throughout the preceding news conference, asking Kouakou to handle the talking as new search efforts were announced. And equally so as the couple then walked a few blocks to see the missing child’s billboard, one of two installed this week, for the first time. But now she wept, the sight too overwhelming.

“It’s been terribly difficult,” Kouakou said earlier about the search. “But the hope is still alive. We have great hope.”

http://montrealgazette.com/news/loc...w-efforts-in-search-for-ariel-jeffrey-kouakou

 

[Tssiemer]

Denial is powerful I guess.


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[Hazel]

Denial is powerful I guess.


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Very! and I don't understand why nobody tells him that 2 months mean nothing when it comes to falling through ice in winter time. Why give false hopes?