A man has been arrested and now faces several charges stemming from the assault and robbery of a senior citizen last month in Vernon.
On July 27, 2019 at 4:15 p.m., the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP responded to a report of an 84-year-old man who was assaulted and robbed of property in the 2800 block of 35th Street.
The victim was walking in the alley when he was confronted by an unknown man, police said. During the interaction, the victim was punched in the face, knocking him to the ground.
The suspect then allegedly robbed the man and fled from the scene.
Witnesses were able to described the suspect, however, despite numerous patrols, they were not located. The Serious Crime Unit was assigned to investigate.
Two days later, on July 29, 2019, at 9:45 a.m., Superintendent Baher was conducting patrols of the downtown Vernon area when police were alerted to a man breaking into a truck parked in the 2800 block of 31st Street.
The witness said that they saw the suspect inside the truck before they fled on foot, taking with them numerous items. Baher was in the area and arrested the suspect for theft under $5,000.
“The witness reported the incident to police immediately, which assisted us in taking this man into custody quickly,” said Corporal Tania Finn, Media Relations Officer with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. “As it turns out, the individual arrested by Superintendent Baher that morning had been identified as the suspect in the earlier robbery.”
A 20-year-old man from Vernon is now facing numerous charges including robbery, assault causing bodily harm and theft under $5000. The individual remains in custody pending his next court appearance.
