A 29 year-old Regina male is facing charges in connection with three recent robberies in Regina as well as an incident of assault with a weapon.
The incidents all occurred within the past ten days:
– On December 12, 2017, at 12:20 p.m., police were dispatched to a financial institution in the 3400 block of 5th Avenue. A male suspect entered the business premises, approached an employee and demanded cash. The male left with an undisclosed amount of cash. The employee was not physically injured in this incident.
– On December 19, 2017 at 6:37 p.m., police were dispatched to a business in the 6200 block of Rochdale Boulevard for a report of a robbery. The victim reported a male entered the business and asked for the employee to call a cab. The suspect male then produced a knife and demanded cash and merchandise before fleeing the premises. Fortunately, the employee was not physically hurt.
– On December 20, 2017, at 8:33 a.m., police were called to a business in the 400 block of Albert Street North. Preliminary information indicated a male entered the business, approached an employee at the till, produced a knife and then reached into the cash register, removing cash. The male then left the store. As with previous incidents, the employee was not physically injured.
– Later the same day, investigation into the Albert Street North incident led police to locate a male matching the physical and clothing description of the suspect in the robbery. At approximately 2:30 p.m., the suspect was arrested in the area of 8th Avenue and Elphinstone Street. During the arrest, police learned of an assault with a weapon that had just occurred. The victim was a cab driver, who, moments earlier, had had the suspect in his cab. The driver did not sustain any physical injuries from this incident. Further investigation into this assault with a weapon, as well as the previous robberies, led to numerous charges against the 29 year-old male.
Twenty-nine year-old Craig Michael PAPEQUASH of Regina, is charged with:
3 x Robbery, section 344(1)(b) CC;
4 x Breach of Recognizance, section 145(3) CC; and
Assault with a Weapon, section 267(1) CC.
PAPEQUASH made his first court appearance on these charges in Provincial Court at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday (today), December 21, 2017.