A 49-year-old man has been arrested by Saanich police after robberies at two local businesses.
Following an investigation by the Saanich Police Department, one male suspect was taken into custody on Feb. 5 and police have recommended charges including two counts of robbery and one count for using an imitation firearm.
The robberies took place on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 and both businesses are located in the same plaza in the 200-block of Gorge Road West.
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The first incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. when a suspect reportedly entered the establishment and handed a note to the cashier demanding money. Police said the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of money just before the 911 call was made.
Two days later, at around 8:30 p.m., police said the suspect attempted to do the same thing at another nearby business. The suspect approached the cashier with a note demanding money and, this time, threatened to use a firearm. After taking an unknown amount of money, the individual took off before police arrived.
“Investigators … worked quickly to identify a suspect responsible for these brazen crimes,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the department. “Search warrants were also executed on a residence in Saanich as well as a vehicle believed to be associated (with) the robberies.”
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