Man pleads guilty to stealing vehicle, abandoning 6-year-old autistic child in Saskatchewan

A man accused of a child abduction that sparked an Amber Alert in north-central Saskatchewan has pleaded guilty to several charges.

Johnathan Gunville, who is 19, has admitted to abandoning a child, theft of a vehicle, operation of a vehicle dangerous to the public and driving while disqualified.

Other charges including abduction and unlawful confinement are expected to be dealt with when the case returns to North Battleford court for sentencing on Jan. 9.

The six-year-old girl had been left in the back of her parents' running Mercedes when it was taken last month from outside a strip mall in North Battleford.

The girl, who is autistic, epileptic and non-verbal, was found safe almost 14 hours later still inside the SUV a few kilometres away from where it was stolen.

Bill Archer, Gunnville's lawyer, has said his client is a troubled kid with intellectual challenges.