One man remains in custody facing a number of charges after a violent five-day crime spree.
Shortly after 11:00 a.m. on May 15th, a man entered the Pharmasave drugstore located on Hastings near Nanaimo Street. He allegedly pointed a firearm at staff and robbed them of a small amount of cash.
That same day, just after 11:00 p.m., a man entered a store at Kingsway and Nanaimo Street. A gun was produced and the store was robbed of cash. As the man ran out, he deployed pepper spray inside the business.
One day later on May 17th, at about 9:00 p.m., a man walked into a small grocery store on McGill Street. Police were told the suspect produced a gun and struck the clerk in the head with it. The victim suffered minor injuries and he was taken to hospital for treatment.
At 5:00 p.m. on May 18th, the man returned to the Pharmasave drugstore located on Hastings near Nanaimo Street and robbed the store for a second time. Again, a gun was produced.
The alleged crime spree came to an end yesterday when police located a suspect and observed him enter the Vancity Credit Union and exit into a waiting car. Officers confirmed the bank had been robbed and took him into custody, a short distance away, when safe.
Investigators have recommended the following charges against a 27-year-old Vancouver man who is known to police:
• five counts each of:
robbery with a firearm
disguise with intent
pointing a firearm
using a firearm during the commission of an indictable offence
unauthorized possession of a firearm
• two counts of assault with a weapon
• one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
