Man, 19, accused of sparking Sask. Amber Alert to have bail hearing Tuesday
A 19-year-old man who faces several charges stemming from the disappearance of a young girl which prompted an Amber Alert earlier this month appeared in a North Battleford courtroom Monday.
Johnathan Ryann Gunville of North Battleford was charged and remanded to Tuesday for a bail hearing.
Gunville smiled and waved to people in the gallery during Monday's appearance. CBC News spoke with Tammy Lavallee, Gunville's mother, after the hearing. She said Gunville may not appreciate the full effect of his actions and described him as having cognitive difficulties.
Gunville's defence lawyer said that after his first look at the file, he's not sure that Gunville was even aware there was a child in the vehicle.
Gunville was charged with the abduction of a person under 14, unlawful confinement, abandoning a child, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and theft of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime, evading a police officer and driving while disqualified.
He is also facing eight counts of failure to comply with a probation order.
The Amber Alert was sent out on Sunday, Sept. 16 after a SUV with a six-year-old girl inside was stolen .
The girl's mother had gone inside a strip mall in North Battleford when the incident occurred.
The child was eventually found at an industrial park two kilometres from the strip mall on Monday morning — almost 12 hours after her initial disappearance.
Police said they had reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance footage from more than 200 businesses, to establish where the stolen vehicle had gone after its theft.
Gunville's charges also stem from two other vehicle thefts on Sept. 19 and 20.
With files from Dan Zakreski
