A masked bandit has struck again, this time in Langford.
On Saturday at 5:10 p.m. a man walked into the Money Mart in Millstream Village with a handgun and demanded money.
He had a dark-coloured bandana covering the lower half his face. He was wearing dark-coloured clothing including a hat, pants and hoodie with red lettering on it.
“The suspect fled dropping his hoodie along the way,” said Cpl. Kathy Rochlitz, with the West Shore RCMP. He was wearing a white T-shirt under the hoodie.
The man ran eastbound through Millstream Village and down Sunshine Terrace.
Saanich police arrived with dogs to track the suspect. The dogs followed his scent but lost it in the Home Depot parking lot on Millstream Road.
“He probably had a vehicle waiting there for him,” Rochlitz said.
Another robbery occurred on Sunday just after 5 p.m. at Panago Pizza at 1108 Yates St. in Victoria. The suspect had a similar description and displayed a handgun.
Police investigators believe it is the same suspect as in the Langford robbery and a series of seven armed robberies in the Capital Region.
West Shore RCMP, Victoria police and Saanich police are working together to track down the suspect.
No one has been injured in the recent robberies, Rochlitz said. She said if someone witnesses such a robbery, stay aware, but certainly don’t intervene.
“These situations are concerning for the general public, and we need to be in charge of our own personal safety,” Rochlitz said. “We need to do what is best in that moment to keep ourselves safe.”
The man is described as being in his mid-20s, heavy-set, 200 to 220 pounds and stands taller than six feet.
Anyone with information on the suspect can call West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com