Inmate who escaped from prison in Quebec caught hours later in Toronto

Ricardo Vilches, 85, is shown in an undated handout photo. A federal inmate serving time for murder who vanished from a prison Monday north of Montreal was arrested hours later in Toronto, prison authorities say. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Correctional Service Canada

SAINTE-ANNE-DES-PLAINES, Que. — A federal inmate serving time for murder who vanished on Monday from a prison north of Montreal was arrested hours later in Toronto.

Correctional Service Canada said 85-year-old convicted killer Ricardo Vilches wasn’t present during head count at noon on Monday.

He was incarcerated in the minimum security unit at Archambault Institution in Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., 35 kilometres north of Montreal.

An arrest warrant was issued for Vilches, who is serving an indeterminate sentence for second-degree murder.

The inmate was arrested by Toronto police around 5:45 p.m. on Monday.

Corrections officials say they will investigate the circumstances surrounding Vilches' escape.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.