Police are seeking a male suspect who allegedly struck an elderly Good Samaritan before stealing their vehicle.
The incident was reported to Sicamous RCMP at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. Police spoke with the victim, a 90-year-old Salmon Arm resident, as well as a witness to the robbery at a Sicamous gas station.
In a Dec. 4 media release, Sgt. Murray McNeil explained the victim had been at a restaurant in Salmon Arm earlier that afternoon when he was approached outside by a man he did not know.
“The man was persistent in asking him for a ride east on the highway,” said McNeil.
The victim eventually agreed to drive the man east and the two departed in the victim’s SUV.
In Sicamous, the victim pulled into a gas station where he told the stranger that was as far as he would be taking him.
“The man then grabbed the keys from the ignition of the vehicle,” said McNeil. “He told the victim to exit the vehicle before striking him once in the head and pushing the victim out of his own vehicle.”
The victim was treated at the scene and transported to hospital for minor injuries to his face and hand.
A witness to the robbery reported the incident to police and Revelstoke RCMP set up a roadblock in an attempt to locate the stolen vehicle. However, patrolling officers later found the vehicle abandoned in the Malakwa area.
McNeil said footprints from the vehicle led back to the highway and, despite an extensive search of the area, the suspect was not located.
The suspect is described as possibly in his 40s, six feet tall with an average build, “scruffy in appearance” and wearing a plaid lumberjack-style jacket that was black or blue.
“This incident illustrates the dangers associated with offering rides to people you are unfamiliar with,” cautioned McNeil. “If you are intimidated by the persistence of someone asking for a ride or money outside a business, go inside and inform staff who can call the police to assist you.”
“I find this crime particularly disturbing as the suspect took advantage of an elderly man who offered him help. The suspect used violence to rob an innocent senior of their vehicle who could not defend themselves after they had agreed to offer assistance to a person they did not know.”
Anyone with information related to the identity of the suspect is urged to contact the Sicamous RCMP at 250-836-2878 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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