A Fort Nelson man is in custody and faces numerous charges after a Victoria store was robbed and a man attacked with a hatchet.
On Nov. 1, VicPD officers were called to a business in the 1900-block of Oak Bay Avenue for a report of a robbery. When officers arrived the victims and witnesses reported the male suspect had entered the business and began carrying various items. One of the items the suspect retrieved was a hatchet. When the suspect attempted to leave the store without paying, an employee tried to stop him. The suspect then allegedly attacked the employee with the hatchet, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries. Police say two customers stepped in and the suspect was disarmed.
The suspect then re-entered the store and allegedly grabbed the Remembrance Day Poppy box from the counter while confronting the injured store employee. During this exchange, another staff member intervened. The suspect allegedly assaulted him, causing non-life-threatening injuries.
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The suspect was able to flee the store but was closely followed by the store manager. The suspect then confronted the store manager with a large rock. The store manager moved to a safe distance but lost sight of the suspect before responding officers arrived on scene. A search of the area was unsuccessful.
Officers recognized the suspect from surveillance video and discovered he was wanted on B.C.-wide warrants for sexual interference, sexual assault, assaulting a police officer, assault, uttering threats, mischief, obstructing a police officer and breaching a recognizance.
VicPD major crime detectives took over the investigation and a suspect was taken into custody without incident by the Saanich Police Department’s K9 unit on Tuesday.
Gary Reno faces charges of weapons possession, robbery and assault causing bodily harm, as well as charges related to his outstanding warrants.
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