Police in Sault Ste Marie have arrested a local man in connection with a pair of incidents, including a grisly discovery made in the St. Mary's River on Thursday afternoon.

"When our officers arrived on scene, they found the body of a deceased infant at the water's edge," said Constable Sonny Spina, Sault Police Service.

Officers were later called to the Algonquin Hotel on Queen Street after reports of a man barricaded in a room with a firearm, and they arrested 34-year-old James Joseph (J.J.) Hache of Sault Ste. Marie.

"Right now, he's facing charges of being in possession of a weapon while prohibited, possession of a weapon dangerous, and concealing the body of a child," said Spina.

It is alleged that the accused man disposed of the deceased body of the child in the river.

"Right now now the investigation is still in the preliminary stages. We dont have a cause of death yet.  That will be determined when a post-mortem is conducted," Spina explained.

Police are not releasing the name or the gender of the deceased infant and are looking into the relationship between the accused and the child.

Anyone having information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Investigation Services at (705) 949 6300.