Robbery suspect gets stuck in attic

A would-be robber found his way into a First Avenue supermarket, but couldn't find his way out in time to evade RCMP.

A suspect who tried to rob a Chilliwack supermarket in the wee hours of Tuesday morning had no trouble getting in.

But getting out? That was a problem.

Chilliwack RCMP responded to a call at 3:20 a.m. in the 46,600 block of First Avenue. They found the store ransacked, but the front door to the business hadn’t been opened nor had any windows been broken.

So how did the suspect get in?

RCMP noticed a hole in the roof, above the cash register. After the Chilliwack Fire Department helped them onto the roof, they found the suspect, holed up in the attic and with no way to escape.

It turns out that his entry plan was better thought out than his exit strategy,” said Cst. Tracy Wolbeck.  “After dropping through the roof he was unable to get out due to a double locking mechanism on the front door of the business. Police were on the ground as well as the roof and made any sort of escape a challenge.”

The 19 year old Chilliwack resident was arrested and later released with a promise to appear in court sometime in August.

Chilliwack Progress