Roger knox
Morning Star Staff
RCMP have caught up with a suspect from a Dec. 4 robbery.
An arrest has been made in connection with a robbery reported at the Husky gas station on 27th Avenue Dec. 4.
A suspect has been taken into custody and was expected to appear in court Thursday to answer to charges of robbery.
The 51-year-old man is a Vernon resident and is well known to the police.
Meanwhile, officers continue to work on the other outstanding robberies in the city.
The latest incident took place at Vantage One Credit Union (in the Landing Plaza) shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday.
A man approached a teller and handed over a note indicating he was looking for cash and possessed a weapon.
“Our staff followed our security protocols, and the individual left the building quite quickly,” said Glenn Benischek, chief executive officer at VantageOne.
Benischek said no weapon was produced.
It’s believed the suspect fled the facility, located in the Landing Plaza, on foot.
Vernon RCMP Safe Communities Unit issued a bulletin Tuesday stating the man made off with an undisclosed amount of cash which included new Canadian $100 bills with the plastic feel and security window feature.
No one inside the branch was injured.
“The staff is good,” said Benischek on Wednesday. “Support systems are in place and all staff are being attended to based on their individual needs.”
The suspect in the robbery is described as a Caucasian man, young-looking, five-foot-eight, 165 pounds, clean-shaven with a square jaw, wearing makeup or powder on the lip area.
He was wearing a dark olive green longer winter coat with fur around the hood area. There were four pockets on the coat, two in the chest area and two in the waist area, similar to a military-style coat.
He was also wearing a black toque on his head, black gloves, black pants and brown laced-up shoes.
It’s the second such description of a fur-lined hood being used in an attempted robbery. That description was given after an unsuccessful robbery attempt at Vern’s Pizza on 32nd Street Dec. 9.
Since Dec. 1, there have been seven robberies or attempted robberies in Vernon.
Five remain unsolved. Another person was arrested in connection with a purse-snatching at the Lake City Casino on Dec. 1.
Anybody with any information on the robbery at VantageOne is asked to call the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171. Crime Stoppers can be contacted at 1-800-222-8477 or at www.nokscrimestoppers.com.
