Charges have been laid in connection with last weekend’s Amber Alert.
An Amber Alert was issued when a car was stolen in North Battleford Sunday with a six-year-old child with autism and epilepsy inside. The vehicle was found the next morning in an industrial area on the outskirts of the city. The child was taken to hospital, but was not seriously harmed.
According to a press release issued late Friday, the Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Unit North, with assistance from the North Battleford RCMP, North Battleford General Investigative Section (GIS) and the Saskatoon GIS, an arrest has been made. Hundreds of hours of surveillance footage from over 200 businesses was viewed, establishing the stolen vehicle’s movements after it was taken.
As a result of the investigation, Johnathan Ryann Gunville of North Battleford was charged with:
- Abduction of a person under 14, Section 281 of the Criminal Code
- Unlawful confinement, Section 279(2) of the Criminal Code
- Abandoning a child, Section 218 of the Criminal Code
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, Section 249(1)(a) of the Criminal Code x2
- Theft of a motor vehicle, Section 333.1 of the Criminal Code
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, Section 355(a) of the Criminal Code
- Evade a police officer, Section 249.1 of the Criminal Code
- Drive while disqualified, Section 259(4)(a) of the Criminal Code x2
- Fail to comply with a probation order, Section 733.1(1) of the Criminal Code x8
The charges also relate to a pair of vehicle thefts on Sept. 19 and 20. Gunville has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on Monday at 9:30 a.m. The RCMP would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance in this matter.
