Caught on video: Nanaimo teenager hits would-be armed robber with baseball bat
A teenager in Nanaimo, B.C., is being hailed as a hero by his family after a would-be robber entered their business and the boy scared him off with a baseball bat.
Fourteen-year-old Jake Currie was working Wednesday at his family’s business, Abbies Corner Store at 531 Second St.
Surveillance video shows a suspect entering the store around 8:47 p.m. wearing a ski mask and holding a knife. The suspect demanded money from Currie.
The corner store is also where Currie’s family lives, and his stepsister and her four-month-old baby were in the room next door.
Knowing this, Currie calmly pulled out a baseball bat from behind the counter and swung at the suspect.
“I hit him with the bat; he lost his knife and backed up a bit,” Currie says.
The robber then asked why Currie hit him with the bat.
“I was like, 'What do you expect? You had a knife to me,'” he added.
Before leaving, the suspect tried looking for the knife and asked for it back. He then left the store without the knife and took off down the street.
The whole ordeal lasted less than a minute.
Abbies Corner Store opened five months ago and this is the first time someone has tried to rob it.
Currie’s stepdad Marcel Trudeau thinks the boy went above and beyond to protect the store and his family.
“I’d never expected him to hit somebody with a baseball bat,” says Trudeau. “But I think it was because my daughter and her baby are here.”
Nanaimo RCMP responded and took the knife as evidence. They told the family they believe the suspect is the same person who robbed a locally run grocery store with a knife last week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 investigates | Priest, neighbours issue plea for help for struggling international students in Cape Breton
Cape Breton University has more than doubled in size by enrolling thousands of international students, and critics say the campus and community weren't ready. Watch the documentary 'Cash Cow' on CTV W5, Saturday at 7 p.m.

Afghan women cyclists who escaped the Taliban are chasing their dreams in Canada
After the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan and banned sports for female athletes, Afghan women cyclists are chasing their dreams in Canada.
Unable to leave Syria, mothers of Canadian children forfeit repatriation to keep their families together
In a choice forced upon them by the Canadian government, four mothers have made the agonizing decision to forfeit an opportunity to repatriate their children from open air prisons in northeast Syria.
Recent immigrants more likely to have confidence in Parliament, Canadian media: Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada has released its new report about the Canadians level of confidence in Canada’s institutions, finding that recent immigrants are more likely to express confidence in the media and parliament.
Federal minimum wage, taxes on alcohol: Here's what's changing in Canada April 1
The federal minimum wage is increasing from $15.55 per hour to $16.65, and taxes are going up on gas and alcohol nationwide starting April 1.
A glass of wine or beer per day is fine for your health: new study
A new Canadian study of 4.8 million people says a daily alcoholic drink isn't likely to send anyone to an early grave, nor will it offer any of the health benefits touted by previous studies, even if it is organic red wine.
MP Han Dong issues libel notice to Global News over China interference reporting
Lawyers representing Toronto MP Han Dong served Global News with a libel notice on Friday over reports that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of the two Michaels, and that he was a 'witting affiliate' of Chinese interference networks – allegations that Dong denies.
Here's what to expect from the Canadian cottage market this year
A recent report from Royal LePage is predicting a drop in prices for Canadian cabins and cottages this year as demand softens from economic uncertainty and low housing stock.
Interim RCMP commissioner would support Criminal Code changes for stricter gun laws
Interim RCMP commissioner Michael Duheme says he would support the Criminal Code changes recommended in the Mass Casualty Commission report to implement stricter gun laws.