Wanted: the woman with the golden gun

Windsor police are hunting for a woman who brandished what looked like a gold-coloured pistol when she robbed two convenience stores last week.

The crimes occurred Thursday at a store in the 1500 block of Tecumseh Road West and another in the 1100 block of California Avenue.

The first robbery happened shortly before 9:45 a.m. at the Tecumseh Road West address. The lone employee told police a woman entered the business waving a gold-coloured firearm, demanding money and merchandise. The suspect proceeded to take cash and goods, stuffed them into a grey plastic bag and fled. She was last seen heading east on foot. No one was hurt.

The employee described the robber as a white woman, perhaps 30 to 40 years old and about five-footseven with a medium build.

At the time of the crime, she was wearing a dark-coloured coat with the hood pulled over her head, black tights, purple gloves and red running shoes with whitetrimmed soles.

The second robbery happened on the same date, but during the night. Police were called around 10 p.m. to the California Avenue address.

Attending officers were told of a female suspect who carried a gold-coloured firearm and a plastic bag. This time, the robber left without getting anything. When she tried to reach into the cash register from across the counter, a second employee confronted her and she fled.

She was last seen running north on California Avenue and climbing into the passenger side of a burgundy Mazda compact SUV. The vehicle then continued north on California Avenue. The suspect was described as a white woman with a medium build.

At the time of the crime, she was wearing a long black jacket with a hood, dark tight pants, black shoes with pink laces and gloves with blue and white stripes.

She concealed the lower half of her face with a black scarf. The suspect vehicle was described as a burgundy four-door Mazda CX-7, possibly a 2007 or 2008 model.

Members of the public are advised to consider this suspect armed and dangerous and not to approach her.

Images from a security surveillance video can be seen at windsorstar.com.

Anyone with information can call the major crimes branch at 519-255-6700, ext. 4830. Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or catchcrooks.com.