A 40-year-old man is in police custody and an elderly woman is recovering from serious injuries following a series of robberies and assaults in Winnipeg over the weekend.
The WPS says in a press release that the first incident took place on August 3, 2024, at approximately 12:30 p.m., when the suspect entered a commercial business in the 1000 block of Nairn Avenue. He threatened a cashier with a lighter and demanded money before fleeing empty-handed.
Shortly after, at around 12:45 p.m., the suspect confronted an elderly woman sitting in her vehicle nearby. He forcibly removed her from the vehicle, threw her to the ground, and threatened to stab her before driving off in her car. The elderly woman sustained serious injuries.
On August 4, 2024, at approximately 5:45 a.m., the suspect attempted to rob a woman of her vehicle at a commercial business in the 1600 block of Regent Avenue West. The woman was thrown to the ground and sustained minor injuries. The suspect fled after stealing her purse but was unable to start the vehicle.
At approximately 7:30 a.m. the same day, the suspect lured another woman outside a commercial business in the 1600 block of Regent Avenue West by claiming there was an issue with her parked vehicle. He then assaulted her, punching her several times and threatening to kill her, before stealing her vehicle and fleeing the scene.
The Winnipeg Police Tactical Support Team later located the stolen vehicle unoccupied in the 500 block of Selkirk Avenue. With the assistance of East District and North District General Patrol officers, the suspect was found and arrested.
The Major Crimes Unit has charged the suspect with four counts of robbery, aggravated assault, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He has been detained in custody.