Red Deer RCMP are investigating the armed robberies of two Red Deer convenience stores on April 18th – one early in the morning and the second late at night – that police believe at this time were committed by the same trio.
Shortly before 3:30 a.m. on April 18th, RCMP responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Express 24 Foodmart on Erickson Drive. Two masked men entered the store carrying long guns and demanded cash and cigarettes, then fled in a waiting truck that was driven by a third person.
Police located the suspect vehicle, a white 2004 Ford F150 with a black tonneau cover, as it fled westbound on 32nd St.; it refused to stop for police and sped through the Westpark neighbourhood before returning to Gaetz Avenue and driving north in the southbound lanes. Due to the risk to public safety, police did not pursue the truck at that point.
The truck had been reported stolen out of Blackfalds on April 12th, and had a license plate that had been stolen in a separate incident. The truck had been caught on camera during a gas and dash at 11:45 a.m. on April 17th at a business on Gasoline Alley; the driver in that file was a woman.
At 11:45 p.m. on April 18th, RCMP responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Mac’s Convenience Store on Jewell Street. A masked man carrying a handgun and a masked woman carrying a long gun entered the store and demanded cash and cigarettes. During the robbery, the female suspect assaulted the female staff member, who was taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
RCMP contained the area and Police Dog Services tracked the suspects down an alley where police believe they entered a waiting vehicle.
At this time, RCMP believe the two armed robberies and the gas and dash are related, and were committed by two men and a woman acting together.
The suspects in the Express 24 robbery are described as (suspect one)
male, approximately 6’3” tall, wearing black pants with white lettering on the thigh, a black hoodie, clown mask and yellow work gloves.
The second suspect is described as male, approximately 6’1” tall, wearing blue jeans, a black jacket with “CROOKS” in white lettering, a black baseball hat with “Murder” in white lettering and gloves.
For the gas and dash incident, the suspect is described as a Caucasian female wearing grey sweatpants, a black hooded jacket, a pink hoodie, a ball cap and tan work boots.
The first suspect in the Mac’s store robbery is described as a female wearing black sweatpants with white lettering on the leg, a black Under Armour hoodie, light ball cap, black converse-style sneakers, gloves, and a dark bandana over her face.
The second suspect is described as a male wearing black pants, a black hoodie, a skeleton face mask and gloves.
If you know the identities of these suspects or have information about these investigations, contact the Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or report it online at www.tipsubmit.com.
– Fawcett
