Two people were arrested charged this week after violent and threatening robberies in Prince George.
Multiple charges have been brought forward against 32-year-old Derek Henry of Edmonton and 41-year-old Georgina West from Prince George from the events of Sunday morning (March 21).
RCMP spokesperson Cst. Jennifer Cooper says police received a report at 7:30 a.m. that day that a robbery had happened at the corner of Victoria Street and 20 Avenue.
The call was coming from ER staff, where the man had made his way on foot after the robbery.
When police arrived at the hospital and spoke to the victim, he told police he was walking along the street near a bus stop when he saw another man on a bike.
The victim said the man on the bike came up behind him and struck him in the head multiple times with what is described as a "lanyard and ball."
The suspect then allegedly kicked the victim and stole his cell phone before taking off.
Cooper says just minutes later, Mounties received another report of a robbery from a convenience store located on 1500-block 20 Ave.
A caller told police that two people entered the business and threatened staff with a metal bike lock and a chain. One suspected demanded staff give them all of the cigarettes, threatening to shoot them if they didn't.
Cooper says the suspect left the store without cigarettes and staff locked the door immediately with the suspect returning minutes later, with a second suspect letting him back into the store.
The man had returned with a metal pipe and chain, using them to smash the front counter.
Witnesses said he climbed over the counter, grabbed five packages of cigarettes and left with the second suspect. The suspects then headed through a parking lot of a restaurant on the corner of Victoria Street and 20th Ave., while checking for cars that may have had unlocked doors.
Police arrived on the scene within three minutes of the second call coming in and arrested the two suspects, Henry and West.
Mounties found the five packets of cigarettes that had been stolen and a cell phone, which was confirmed to belong to the first victim of the first robbery.
The B.C. Prosecution Service has approved the following charges against Henry:
- Robbery (two counts)
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose (one count)
- Aggravated assault (one count)
- Assault with a weapon (one count)
West has been charged with:
- Robbery (one count)
- Possession of an imitation weapon (one count)
Henry will remain in police custody until his next court date, while West was released and will return to court at a future date.
#PrinceGeorge - Robbery suspects caught https://t.co/T9cp7T021i pic.twitter.com/ZHtMLJTFvB
— BCRCMP (@BCRCMP) March 24, 2021
