Police in downtown Vancouver were busy Tuesday, Feb. 1, as three men were arrested for a series of unrelated crimes.
In the first case a man walked into a Davie Street grocery store around 8 a.m. and assaulted a 23-year-old man while attempting to take a carton of cigarettes behind the counter.
Staff at the store were able to catch the 34-year-old suspect and hold him down until officers arrived, according to a police press release. He was arrested and taken to jail.
Later in the day, on Robson Street, a 33-year-old man walked into a store around 5 p.m. and walked out with more than $300 of clothing. He then went to the store next door to get try to get staff to take the tags off. He then went to a third store and grabbed $144 in lipstick.
Security tried to stop him, but he pulled a folding knife out and walked away.
However, witnesses kept an eye on him and called 9-1-1. Police arrested him for robbery.
A couple of hours later, around 7 p.m. and back on Davie Street, a 22-year-old man pulled a box-cutter on an employee at a vape store and grabbed some items.
While the suspect fled the scene the employee called police and officers were able to locate and arrest him.
Police are trying to clamp down on the number of violent thefts in Vancouver says spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison, even as violent robberies appear to be on the rise. In these cases, he adds, staff and witnesses were of great help.
"Each of these arrests occurred because someone called 911 immediately and provided real-time information that helped VPD officers locate and arrest the suspects,” says Addison.
