A 34-year-old woman has been charged after allegedly stealing a wig and waving around a gun at an Abbotsford clothing store on Wednesday.
Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird said a woman entered the store in the Cedar Park Place shopping plaza – located in the area of Clearbrook Road and South Fraser Way – at about 5 p.m.
Bird said staff confronted the woman as she was in the process of stealing a wig. She produced a firearm and then waved it around before running away.
Police who were dispatched to the scene arrested the woman outside of the nearby McDonald’s restaurant.
Bird said the gun, which was found in some bushes, turned out to be fake.
Briana Hanelle Gray has now been charged with two counts of robbery, and remains in custody at this time. More charges could be forthcoming.
According to the provincial court database, Gray is subject to a lifetime weapons ban stemming from a robbery on Aug. 17, 2013 in Aldergrove.
According to previous police reports, Gray pointed a gun at and demanded cash from a clerk at the Booster Juice location.
She then ran off, but the worker provided a detailed description of her to police.
Gray escaped in a cab and then attempted to rob the driver, who pulled over and called police.
Officers surrounded the vehicle in Abbotsford, and Gray was arrested and quickly linked to the Aldergrove robbery.
The handgun she had used was found to be an airsoft pistol.
Gray was convicted of two counts of robbery and using an imitation firearm in relation to the two incidents.
She remained in jail from the time of her arrest until sentencing in March 2014, and was given an additional 17 months in prison, in addition to the lifetime weapons ban.
Gray has other convictions, dating back to 2008, for robbery, driving while prohibited and several counts of theft.
RELATED: Abbotsford woman arrested for armed robbery in Aldergrove
Video courtesy of Courtney Forbes
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Vikki Hopes | Reporter
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