The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a suspect who robbed two South Edmonton cannabis stores in the course of a week.
The suspect is described as a white male between 5’6 and 5’10” tall with an average build and shaved brown hair. In both robberies, police say he wore a fake beard, sunglasses, and a baseball hat.
The first robbery took place on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at approximately 11 p.m., at a cannabis store in the area of 52 Avenue and Terwillegar Boulevard.
Police say that the suspect approached the clerk, demanded cash, and told the clerk to take him to the stockroom. Once he gained access to the stockroom where most cannabis is stored, the suspect forced the clerk to assist him in filling bags with cannabis before fleeing the store.
Then, on Sunday, September 22, 2024, at around 10 p.m., the same male entered another cannabis shop in the area of 66 Street and 42 Avenue. This time, he reportedly produced a handgun, and the clerk pressed the panic alarm. The suspect fled the shop and was last seen running north along 66 Street.
Cannabis store break-ins and robberies continue to be a challenge in many parts of Canada, but stores in Alberta have faced considerable pressure from criminals. Just a few weeks ago, police in Calgary were asking for the public’s help in identifying a man wearing various disguises and robbing several cannabis stores.
In July, police in Edmonton were seeking help locating two suspects in a cannabis store robbery. In December 2023, police in Calgary identified suspects in a string of cannabis store robberies. RCMP in Red Deer, Alberta, said they recovered some $19,000 worth of stolen cannabis, along with firearms, ammunition, and other stolen property, while executing a search warrant on July 3.
Other parts of Canada are also impacted. In early September, police in Ontario announced four arrests in connection with cannabis store break-ins in the Toronto and Durham Region. In March, Toronto police arrested a man connected to cannabis store robberies, and Niagara police were investigating the armed robbery of a cannabis store.
In BC, Kelowna’s Hi Cannabis was broken into early on the morning of September 29, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Robberies and burglaries are not exclusive to cannabis stores. Two cannabis producers in BC were robbed in early-morning heists in 2023, as well.
