Police in Stratford, Ont. have released new details about Wednesday night’s jewelry store robbery at the Stratford Mall, including the arrest of four suspects and the search for one more.
Multiple 911 calls about a smash and grab robbery were made to police around 6 p.m. Witnesses said five people entered the Paris Jewellers store and fled in a white Honda CRV, stolen from Toronto earlier in the day. The vehicle was last seen driving east out of the city.
An employee was assaulted as one of the suspects fled the store. Police said the injuries were minor and they did not need medical treatment.
Thanks to the vehicle description provided by witnesses and staff, Ontario Provincial Police were able to track the Honda CRV to the Sunrise Shopping Centre in Kitchener by 7 p.m.
Four of the suspects were taken into police custody.
Police said one was a 15-year-old boy from Toronto, another was a 16-year-old from Richmond Hill and a third was a 17-year-old from Springhill, Nova Scotia.
The fourth person arrested was Julian Johnson, 27, of Richmond Hill.
Police said they’re facing a total of 55 charges, including: robbery, possessing break-in instruments, disguise with intent, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of property obtained by crime and breach of release orders.
Johnson is also facing two additional charges for incidents that happened after his arrest. Police said he bit an officer and spit on several others. Johnson was charged with assaulting a police officer and mischief under $5,000, for property damage during his custody.
Stratford Police said Waterloo Regional Police helped in the search for the fifth robbery suspect, but they were unable to locate the individual. Their identity is still not known.
Police also learned that a second vehicle was involved in the robbery. The white Dodge Durango, which had also been stolen from the Toronto area, was found abandoned in a ditch on Road 111, near Highway 7/8, after leaving the Stratford Mall.
