Three teens arrested after ‘brazen’ robbery at Liquor Mart

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This article was published 13/01/2019 (1928 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police have charged three teenagers in connection with a booze theft from a city Liquor Mart, but are remaining mum on whether the situation has improved since rashes of such thefts began making headlines in late 2018.

Three boys – aged 16, 16, and 14 – are in custody following the brash robbery, which saw one of the suspects threaten to kill two officers during his arrest and another throw a liquor bottle at police.

“It’s a pretty brazen robbery and you have these individuals either threatening to kill officers or throwing liquor bottles. So it’s good these three are in custody,” said Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jay Murray.

The three teenage suspects entered the Liquor Mart on the 900 block of Henderson Highway Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and began smashing bottles onto the floor. They allegedly stole $740 worth of booze and fled on foot.

WPS officers responded to the scene with a K-9 unit after receiving reports of the theft. The first suspect was found near Brazier Street and Hazel Dell Avenue.

He refused to cooperate with verbal commands and was taken into custody following a brief struggle. Some of the stolen liquor was found in his possession. He threatened to kill two officers and continued to exhibit violent behaviour following his arrest, police said.

A second suspect was arrested near Henderson Highway and Helmsdale Avenue following a foot chase. He threw a bottle at one of the arresting officers and stolen liquor was also found in his possession, police said.

A third suspect was found hiding in a yard in the 200 block of Helmsdale Avenue following a “lengthy track by K-9 unit members.”

Murray said it remains unclear if the theft was for personal consumption or if the suspects had plans to re-sell the liquor online.

The 14-year-old suspect was also charged with failure to comply with probation orders, but Murray declined comment when asked if his past charges stem from liquor thefts.

Thefts from Winnipeg Liquor Marts made consistent headlines throughout September 2018 after it was revealed Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation had instructed its employees not to physically intervene in the near-daily thefts.

It was later revealed the Crown corporation had suffered $800,000 in thefts during the past 12 months. During a press conference at the time, Murray told reporters the thefts were putting a serious strain on already thin police resources.

On Monday, Murray declined to take any questions related to whether the thefts have continued unabated since then.

“I’m not going to speak to historical trends in regards to liquor thefts… I do want to acknowledge that we have been working with the liquor authority and going forward we continue to make these arrests and work with the liquor authority to stop this crime,” he said.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @rk_thorpe