Police urge vigilance in light of robberies
Vernon RCMP are investigating after two robberies took place on Thursday.
Mounties responded to the Husky gas station at 4500 27 St., at 12:30 p.m.
A lone male entered the store, placed money on the counter and asked to buy a lottery ticket. He allegedly produced a metal object, raising it as if he was going to strike the clerk and demanded money from the till, said Const. Kelly Brett.
The suspect fled the store in a vehicle with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Officers on the ground and in the air responded to the scene, but were unable to locate the suspect.
However, the suspect vehicle was spotted a short distance away, which was turned over to the forensic identification section for analysis, said Brett.
Later that day at 8:30 p.m., Vernon Mounties responded to a robbery at Booster Juice on Highway 6.
A lone male entered the store and allegedly produced a knife and demanded money from the employee.
The suspect grabbed the open till and the employee’s wallet as he fled out the back door, said Brett.
“RCMP officers were on scene within minutes; however, the suspect was not located,” she said.
Police say the two robberies are connected, but the investigation is ongoing.
“It can be concerning that a recent rash of robberies are taking place in the Vernon area, and we are encouraging residents and employees to be vigilant and take note of their surroundings,” said Brett. “If there is a person or vehicle in the area that looks suspicious, take note by writing it down and calling police to make a report.”
Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP at 250-545-7171 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 to remain anonymous.