The man accused of setting fire to more than a dozen vehicles in the Whyte Avenue area in April has admitted to all the charges against him.
On Thursday morning, Malice Sutton, 23, pleaded guilty to arson with disregard for human life, possessing an explosive device, assault with a weapon, and arson causing property damage to motor vehicles.
On April 12, Sutton was captured on camera pouring fuel on multiple vehicles and setting them on fire.
He damaged 13 vehicles before he was taken down by two men in a coffee shop, and arrested by police and charged. One of the men has since come to be known as "Hawaiian shirt guy."
The agreed statement of facts shows Sutton told police he was homeless, unemployed and "suffering from declining mental health."
"He stated that on April 12th, he had been intending to purchase steel-toed boots in order to enhance his employment prospects but that, full of despair, he chose instead to purchase alcohol. He then consumed a substantial amount of vodka. He became suicidal, but decided he lacked the courage to kill himself and settled instead on a plan to damage other people’s property."
Court heard he made several Molotov cocktails behind a Whyte Avenue business. He threw one at a vehicle, and then went on a spree with a gas can and a lighter.
Sentencing for Sutton is expected to take place on Nov. 8. He will undergo a full psychiatric assessment before that date.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg
