Christmas didn’t come early for the clerks at Grandin convenience store, instead St. Nick robbed them.
The Reddi Mart Convenience Store on Grosvenor Boulevard has been robbed twice in the past two weeks with a third attempt foiled when customers walked in.
For the second robbery, around 5 p.m. on Nov. 16, a robber had donned a Santa Claus costume, including a fake beard and a hat, owner Jaime Parhai says.
The fake Santa brandished a box cutter and demanded cigarettes and money from the store clerk. He left with 15-16 packs of cigarettes and less than $100 in cash.
The convenience store had also been robbed a week earlier on Saturday, Nov. 8 around 7:45 p.m.
In that robbery, a man was wandering around the inside of the store asking the clerk about different products, when he proceeded behind the counter and produced a box cutter. He instructed the clerk to open the till.
The man fled on foot with $200 in cash.
He was described to police as: Caucasian, approximately 50 years old, five-feet 10-inches to six-feet tall, larger build, white stubble on his face and wearing a black hoodie and black pants.
A third robbery attempt was made Wednesday.
“He walked into the store and the clerk was filling the coolers. He waited for him to come to the counter. Then he came around and asked him to open the till. Lucky some customers walked in,” says Parhai. The man then fled.
The man was described to police as: Caucasian, 45 to 50 years old, six-feet tall, medium build, wearing a grey and black fleece jacket and dark track pants.
RCMP cannot confirm if the same individual is involved in both robberies and the attempted robbery, though the owner says she thinks only one individual is involved.
Enhanced security measures have been installed at Reddi-Mart since, says Parhai.
She hopes anyone with information about the robberies will contact police.
RCMP ask anyone with information about the robberies or the identity of the male suspect, call them at 780-458-7700. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). If your information leads to an arrest, you qualify for a cash award up to $2,000.
