Mounties in Nanaimo say a man sought in a string of gas station robberies been arrested thanks to a tip from an astute city staffer.
Police put out a release earlier in the day saying they were searching for the 55-year-old man, who was suspected in thefts at a Chevron, Shell and 7-11.
The thefts all took place late Tuesday and early Thursday, according to investigators.
In each case, the thief got away with cash. No one was injured in any of the incidents.
On Wednesday, a City of Nanaimo employee who works in the RCMP detachment spotted a man matching police description of the thief as she set out on a lunch-time run, according to police.
"The employee decided to cut her run short and ran back to the detachment to confirm the person on the bike was the robbery suspect," RCMP said in a news release.
Police quickly searched the downtown core and found the suspect near Port Place Mall. He was taken into custody and police are now trying to find a woman reportedly seen with him.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
