A Sarnia man faces a host of charges following two convenience store robberies in Chatham over the weekend, as police arrested him outside a third corner store Saturday night.
It began before 8 a.m. Saturday on Grand Avenue East, and continued about 2:20 p.m. on Harvey Street.
In both instances, police say a man entered the stores and stole lottery tickets. In one case, the man resorted to violence and brandished a knife, police say.
Police deployed a K9 unit, but came up empty.
However, Chatham-Kent police officers spread out and monitored various other convenience stores around Chatham. In the meantime, video surveillance identified the suspect, and linked him to thefts from a Queen Street Store on Oct. 4 and one on St. Clair a day earlier.
The observation of other convenience stores paid off Saturday night, as police spotted their suspect approaching a Richmond Street convenience store and swooped in to make the arrest.
A 26-year-ld Sarnia man is charged with three counts of theft, three of possession of stolen property, three more of failing to comply with a probation order, robbery with theft, robbery with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Police remind would-be lottery thieves that lottery tickets are regulated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which has tracing capabilities. Anyone attempting to cash in stolen lottery tickets will face arrest.
