Kelowna RCMP are investigating and looking for the public’s help in identifying suspects after a series of recent robberies in the Central Okanagan.
Police are investigating the possibility that the robberies may be connected. In each instance when a police services dog was called, it was able to establish a track that ended abruptly, indicating the suspect flees on foot to a vehicle waiting nearby.
Investigators are seeking public assistance in identifying any suspects or associated vehicle.
The suspect is described as a 25- to 35-year-old Caucasian male who is between five-foot-10 and six-foot-one with a medium build. The suspect is described as having a deep voice, blonde or light brown hair, dry skin or acne-scarring around the eyes and nose and he was wearing a brown or earth-tone jacket and black balaclava.
The robberies have spanned the past two weeks and have so far targetted liquor stores, gas stations, drug marts and other retail locations:
– Feb. 12 at 9:31 p.m. at the Husky gas station, located at 2610 Ross Road, West Kelowna
– Feb. 13 at 10:16 p.m. at the McCulloch Station liquor store, located at 2789 KLO Road, Kelowna
– Feb. 15 at 8:25 p.m. at the Shoppers Drug Mart, located at 3327 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna
– Feb. 17 at 6:02 p.m. at the EB Gamesstore, located at 1575 Banks Road, Kelowna
– Feb. 25 at 10:22 p.m. at the Liquor Depot, located at 3000 Louie Drive, West Kelowna.
The suspect brandished a knife during the first incident in West Kelowna but has since been using a black hand gun. No one has been injured in the robberies.
At 10:07 p.m. on Feb. 27, police responded to a robbery that had just occurred at the London Drugs located at 2151 Louie Drive, West Kelowna.
A lone male suspect entered the pharmacy, brandished a firearm and demanded cash from the registers. As the staff was in the process of closing, no cash was available, so he demanded drugs.
He fled on foot in the direction of the Walmart with an undisclosed amount of pills.
A police service dog again established a track that ended abruptly, indicating the suspect fled to a vehicle waiting nearby. No one was injured in the incident.
In the most recent robbery, the suspect is described as a five-foot-10 Caucasian male with medium build. He was wearing blue jeans, white running shoes and a black hooded sweater. The suspect was described as having a lazy left eye.
According to Kelowna RCMP Const. Kris Clark, the clothing worn in the Feb. 27 robbery is different than the clothes worn in the first five robberies. However, he said police are “investigating the possibility all six are related.”
He noted there’s no way to know if the gun brandished in the robberies is fake or real.
“Replicas are so realistic these days, you’d literally have to set it down in front of you and examine it. You can’t make any confident decision, even from a few feet away,” said Clark.
If you saw anything suspicious at any of the locations around the time of the robberies, or have any information, contact Kelowna RCMP Const. McBride or Const. Moon at 250-762-3300.
Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at crimestoppers.net or texting your tips to CRIMES (274637) ktown.
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