Mounties suspect same senior citizen responsible for three armed robberies in three months
A 59-year-old man was arrested shortly after robbing the CIBC bank in Colwood Wednesday afternoon, the third armed robbery of that branch this year.
A lone man entered the bank at 1:10 p.m. today, produced a handgun and demanded money. He fled from the Juan de Fuca plaza on Goldstream Avenue with an undisclosed amount of cash.
West Shore RCMP say witnesses at the scene were able to provide accurate details about the man and his vehicle. Police aren’t releasing many details, other than he was quickly tracked down in the West Shore area and arrested without incident.
“We had great witness details that allowed us to locate the vehicle and locate the suspect,” said RCMP Cpl. Kathy Rochlitz.
The suspect is currently in custody at the West Shore RCMP detachment. It hasn’t been released if police seized cash or a handgun after the arrest.
RCMP investigators suspect the man is responsible for similar robberies involving the use of a handgun at the Colwood CIBC on March 2 and April 9.
During the March 2 robbery, the suspect wore a hoody and dust mask to obscure his face. During the April 9 robbery, police caught a glimpse of the suspect’s face on security footage. That robber was thought to be in his 50s and had a white trimmed beard.
Rochlitz said it would be unusual and rare for someone to hit the same bank three times, nearly on a monthly basis.
If the man in custody is responsible for the three robberies, it should also provide a measure of relief to bank employees. Staff appeared shaken and upset as they were leaving for the day, and declined to comment on the robbery.
Witnesses or anyone with information on today’s robbery can call West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).