City police are investigating a spree of strong-arm robberies that targeted pedestrians on a bike path near St. Boniface.
Three people were robbed on a bike path running parallel to Fermor Avenue between St. Anne’s Road and Archibald Street, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Monday.
The first robbery involved a 24-year-old man who was walking westbound along the path at about 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 26 when he was approached by another man who brandished a weapon and demanded his personal property. The suspect assaulted the victim and then fled southbound before police arrived. The victim was not injured, police said.
Police have an arrest warrant for Allen James Aitken, who is believe to be involved in the bike-path robberies. (Supplied)
Minutes later, a 59-year-old man was travelling westbound on the path when he was also robbed by a suspect brandishing a weapon. The suspect fled before police arrived and the victim was not injured, WPS said.
On Oct. 1, around 6:20 a.m., a 51-year-old man was heading westbound on the path when he was approached by two men walking in the opposite direction. The victim was assaulted by one suspect, while the other brandished a weapon and demanded his property. The suspects fled before police arrived.
The victim suffered injuries, but did not require medical attention, police said.
Investigators arrested and charged a 23-year-old Winnipeg man on the 100 block of Autumnwood Drive, a few kilometres northeast of the bike path, on Saturday. He was charged with armed robbery and released on an undertaking.
Another suspect has been identified and police are asking for help from the public to locate him.
Investigators are searching for Allen James Aitken, 45. Police have secured an arrest warrant for the Winnipeg man, who is believe to be involved in the incidents.
He is described as a “heavy-set” white man with short brown hair and blue eyes. Aitken weighs approximately 235 pounds and stands about six feet tall, police said.
WPS warned the public not to approach Aitken, who is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can contact investigators at 204-986-6219, Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS), or online at winnipegcrimestoppers.org.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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