No connection between 2 knifepoint robberies in 2 days at Island gas stations, police say
Police north of Nanaimo are asking the public for help identifying a man suspected of robbing a gas station in the village of French Creek earlier this week, while police in Saanich say they have a suspect in a similar - but unrelated - incident in custody.
The incident happened shortly before 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, at a Shell gas station in the 800-block of Island Highway West, according to a news release from Oceanside RCMP.
Police said a masked man "entered the store, produced a knife and demanded cash from the clerk."
The suspect fled on foot, but officers were unable to find him, despite help from a police dog and forensic services.
No one was injured in the incident, but police said the clerk was "understandably shaken up" by the robbery.
Police released a surveillance image of the suspect, describing him as a white man wearing blue jeans, a light grey Carhartt hooded sweatshirt with the brand's name on the left sleeve, "white runners with two dark stripes on either side and a dark blue balaclava with white graphics."
He stands approximately 5'11" tall and was carrying a "light-and-dark-blue" Nike bag on his back, police said.
Oceanside RCMP are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect or has dash cam video from the area around the time the robbery took place to contact them at 250-248-6111 and quote file number 2021-12702.
NO EVIDENCE OF CONNECTION TO SAANICH INCIDENT, POLICE SAY
The French Creek incident has some similarities to another gas station robbery that took place in Saanich the following day.
According to a news release from the Saanich Police Department, a man entered the store at the corner of Burnside Road West and Harriet Road around 3 p.m. Friday. He produced a knife and demanded money from the cashier.
Saanich police said he left with "an undisclosed amount of cash" and was seen driving away in a red Hyundai Kona on Burnside Road West.
Police said the Hyundai had been reported stolen in Nanaimo earlier in the day, and asked the public to be on the lookout for the vehicle and the suspect.
On Saturday, Saanich police confirmed to CTV News that the vehicle and the suspect had been taken into custody, and said there does not appear to be any connection to the French Creek robbery.
Similarly, Oceanside RCMP said although their investigation is in its early stages, they have no information linking the Saanich robbery to their file.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.