Police are investigating an unusual armed robbery at the Irving Big Stop in Deer Lake very early this morning.
The first hint of trouble came from an alarm triggered by a worker at the busy, 24/7 gas station.
Police say a vehicle with three people aboard — two men and a woman — pulled up to the pumps around 3 a.m.
Shortly thereafter, the man in the passenger seat is alleged to have pulled a knife on the driver and robbed him of what police will only say were “personal items” at this stage of their investigation.
The suspect then jumped out, slashed and flattened one of the tires, and took off on foot.
But as a resident of Deer Lake with previous run-ins with the law, it didn’t take the Mounties long to find their man hiding at a home nearby.
Nor did it hurt that all three of the people involved knew each other.
RCMP detachment in Deer Lake. (Courtesy Google Streetview)
Twenty-six-year-old Bobby Sheppard appeared in provincial court on charges of robbery, assault with a weapon, and failing to follow court orders.
That’s in addition to previous counts of fleeing police, drug possession and resisting arrest, which will all be called together on June 10th.
RCMP believe others witnessed what happened in the parking lot and are hoping they will come forward or call Crime Stoppers.
