A 40-year-old man and two accomplices were arrested Monday, Nov. 9 after allegedly trying to steal three tubs of ice cream.
Around 9 p.m. the trio was in a Robson Street grocery store when the man tried to steal three tubs of ice cream. Staff tried to intervene but backed off when the accomplices approached and flashed a gun. The three left the store.
“Several people called 911 to report the violent crime, which allowed VPD officers to quickly respond and apprehend the suspects as they were trying to leave the area,” says Sgt. Steve Addison in a press release.
The man and his accomplices, a 27-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, were all arrested and taken to jail.
The arrests were part of the Vancouver Police Department's crackdown on shoplifting in the city's core, specifically those involving weapons. According to police between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15 this year they've investigated 752 violent shoplifting cases in Vancouver; those are cases like this where a weapon or threats of violence are used.
That's a 550 per cent increase over 2019.
Police are encouraging people to call 911 if they see a crime in progress.
