Nanaimo Mounties, thanks to a tip, were able to arrest a man they believe committed three robberies in a span of 24 hours earlier this week.
Darren Lloyd Petrie, of no fixed address, was arrested Wednesday and was later charged with three counts of robbery and one count of theft.
According to an RCMP press release, a City of Nanaimo employee who works at the RCMP detachment spotted the suspect while she was going for a run on her lunch break.
“The employee decided to cut her run short and ran back to the detachment to confirm the person on the bike was the robbery suspect,” the press release noted. “Once satisfied, numerous police officers flooded the downtown core and within minutes the suspect was located and arrested near the Port Place mall.”
The suspect had been wanted in three alleged robberies.
According to police, the first robbery was reported at about 11 p.m. Tuesday when a man entered the Chevron gas bar at 222 Terminal Ave. and demanded money from the clerk who handed over the cash.
At about 1 a.m. Wednesday, the same man walked into the Shell gas station at the corner of Nicol and Milton streets, demanded cash and left after receiving it.
The third robbery was committed at about 3:30 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at Terminal Avenue and Townsite Road when the same suspect again walked into the premises, demanded cash from the clerk and left.
In each instance, undisclosed amounts of cash were taken, no weapon was produced and no one was injured.
The investigation is continuing as police are still looking for a woman suspected in a theft of tools that happened Monday at about 9 a.m. from the yard of a home on the 1400 block of Waddington Avenue.
The homeowner told police a dark-coloured Volkswagen pulled into her driveway, a man and woman got out of the vehicle and took tools. The victim managed to take pictures of the suspects before they drove off.
Anyone with information about the suspects’ identities is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. To remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com or call 1-800-222-8477.
