Multiple arrests in armed robbery; grocery rebate scam circulating

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This article was published 19/04/2023 (1078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Man arrested for van theft

A man was arrested after allegedly stealing a company van from the 1600 block of Park Avenue on Monday.

The white Ford E250 van was found unoccupied and in a parking lot of a business one block from the original location. A suspect was captured by video surveillance, and shortly after a man was reported to be unlawfully entering a vehicle in the 2500 block of Park Avenue.

Police located the man, who matched the description of the suspect captured on video. According to police, the 45-year-old resisted officers’ efforts to arrest him and a brief struggle ensued.

The man was charged with possession of property obtained by crime and resisting arrest.

Armed robbery arrests

Killarney RCMP made four arrests in connection to an armed robbery at a residence on Johnson Street in Boissevain on April 15.

Officers were told that a 36-year-old woman, who was with four other people she knew, was robbed by the group at knifepoint for a large sum of cash.

According to RCMP, the victim suffered a minor physical injury as a result of the robbery but did not require medication attention. During the bail hearing of one of the accused in a Brandon courthouse Monday, a Crown attorney stated the victim was stabbed in the leg while attempting to fend off the robbers.

Officers conducted patrols in the area to locate the four suspects who had fled after the robbery. A 31-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man, both from Hilton, were arrested. They will appear in Brandon court on robbery charges.

The third suspect, a 19-year-old man from Killarney, contacted police and told them he would turn himself in.

The fourth suspect, 32-year-old Derrick Leaver from Killarney, was arrested in Winnipeg and turned over to the RCMP on charges of robbery with a weapon, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Leaver was denied bail in court Monday. His matter is next scheduled to appear before the court on May 18.

Grocery rebate scam circulating

A new scam is circulating through email and text message in which the sender claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The scam asks the recipient to click a link to access their federal grocery rebate, which was included in the federal budget tabled last month.

The legitimate rebate has not yet been sent to Canadians, but Ottawa says it will be included in the GST/HST credit.

The scam says: “To receive your payment, click here and complete the form.” However, the message is fake and should not be clicked, the CRA says.

In a social-media post, the CRA reminded people to be wary about notifications that ask for personal or financial information.

The Brandon Police Service hasn’t received complaints regarding this new scam, according to Const. Jason Medwechuk.

If you are the victim of a scam, or notice suspicious activity, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-888-495-8501 or on the website at https://bit.ly/3L7Bv1I.

» The Brandon Sun