It took Barrie Police just two hours to catch all five suspects following a daytime jewelry store robbery at Georgian Mall in Barrie last week.
Officers responded just before 2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 19th to reports of a robbery in progress at a jewelry store near the mall’s food court, where five suspects were allegedly smashing display cases and spraying an unknown substance into the air. Police say the suspects fled with a quantity of jewelry, but one 14-year-old boy from Toronto was detained at the scene by off-duty police officers and arrested.
The remaining four suspects fled in a vehicle that had been reported stolen from Toronto. The OPP located the vehicle in Essa Township a short time later, where it failed to stop and was later found in a ditch. A 15-year-old boy from Toronto and a 14-year-old boy from Brampton were arrested at around 3:30 p.m. Following a search of the area, officers arrested the final two suspects, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, both from Brampton, at roughly 4:30 p.m.
Police say a backpack containing numerous items of jewelry was recovered. Several people in the mall were assessed by paramedics after being exposed to pepper spray, which police confirmed was used during the robbery. Investigators say there is no evidence that firearms were involved.
All five suspects are facing the following charges:
- Robbery with violence
- Disguise with intent
- Administer noxious substance
- Weapons dangerous
- Assault with a weapon
- Mischief over $5,000
- Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
Additional charges include possession of a prohibited weapon for the 15-year-old Toronto boy and flight from a peace officer for the 17-year-old Brampton boy. Four of the suspects were held for bail hearings, while the 17-year-old was released with a future court date.
