Three police forces in the Lower Mainland undertook a joint investigation that resulted in two men being charged after a series of robberies
Surrey RCMP said that between Oct. 2 and Oct. 11, robberies, believed to be linked to each other, took place in Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford.
“Investigators from the Surrey RCMP Robbery Unit, the Langley RCMP and the Abbotsford Police Department conducted a coordinated investigation in order to advance all three investigations, with Surrey taking the lead,” a Surrey RCMP news release said.
The robberies took place at a cell phone store located on the 16000-block of 24 Avenue in Surrey on Oct. 2; at another cell phone store located on the 20100-block of 88 Avenue in Langley on Oct. 10; and at a pharmacy on the 3600-block of Townline Road in Abbotsford on Oct. 11.
Police executed search warrants at a residence in Abbotsford and Calgary, with assistance from the Calgary Police Service, on Nov. 18.
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On Dec. 17, BC Prosecution Service laid 15 charges against two suspects.
Erat Odongi, 22, of Abbotsford, has been charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of forcible confinement. Abbotsford Police Department located and arrested Odongi on his outstanding warrants on Dec. 20.
Jaden Kahnapace-Newton, 21, of Calgary, has been charged with three counts of robbery, three counts of forcible confinement, three counts of breach of release order, trafficking property obtained by a crime, and possession of property obtained by crime.
“While none of the employees sustained significant physical injuries, these type of crimes can have a lasting emotional impact,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Vanessa Munn.
“We appreciate the assistance and cooperation of our policing partners in Langley, Abbotsford, and Calgary, for helping advance these multi-jurisdictional robbery investigations.”
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