The RCMP scrambled after a daring daylight armed robbery of the Henry Birks Sons jewelry store on Blackcomb Way on Monday, Aug. 4 at approximately 1:50 p.m.
According to police, two males entered the store and produced a handgun. There were two store employees and two shoppers in the store at the time. Nobody was injured in the robbery.
The men stole an undisclosed amount of jewelry, and ran out of the store. The police were alerted immediately by the store alarm, and quickly established road blocks to the north and south of Whistler on Highway 99.
"That’s normally what we do when we have a robbery here," said Staff Sergeant Hilton Haider of the Whistler/Pemberton RCMP detachment.
"For the last couple of years we’ve had one or two a year, so we have a procedure in place. The Squamish police help us out on their end and our members out of Pemberton watch the roads as well," he said.
"Unfortunately we didn’t have a vehicle description to go with the description of the suspects this time, but the members’ attention was drawn to one vehicle in particular…(that) was acting in a suspicious manner. Reports came to us from other motorists on the highway, and two suspects were apprehended."
The suspects were arrested in the Function Junction area, but there wasn’t enough evidence to charge them with the crime or hold them in custody. They are still being regarded as persons of interest in the case, according to Haider, and the RCMP are still investigating. Any formal charges in the case will come through crown counsel.
Both of the males are described as caucasian and in their mid 20s. One was wearing a black Reebok sweatshirt and a baseball hat, and the other was wearing jeans, a blue hooded sweatshirt, and white shoes. Birks also has video surveillance tapes from the robbery, which the RCMP is reviewing.
The RCMP cannot disclose what was stolen or any other specifics of the case while it is under investigation.
Kayaker killed on Rutherford
Police are blaming treacherous high water conditions for the death of an American Kayaker on the Rutherford River on July 30.
The deceased, who has been identified as 19-year-old Matthew Sheridan of North Carolina, was kayaking with a friend when they ran into trouble on the river and were separated.
The RCMP received a call at 9:30 p.m. and established that one of the kayakers was unaccounted for and was believed to still be on the river. A search and rescue operation was initiated and continued until darkness and rough terrain proved to make searching too dangerous.
The search continued early the next morning with the Pemberton Search and Rescue Crew and an RCMP helicopter. The missing kayaker was located, and the investigation revealed that he died of the injuries he had sustained.
Both men involved in the incident were experienced backcountry kayakers.
No foul play is suspected, and the coroner is investigating the accident.
