A Tri-City man is facing charges after a truck driver was carjacked at gunpoint last month on Schoolhouse Street in Coquitlam.
Police allege the suspect ran onto the road and forced the truck to come to a screeching stop in the early morning hours of Oct. 13. He brandished an imitation handgun and fled in the stolen vehicle after yelling at the driver to get out.
Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung said the suspect is no stranger to police.
"[He] is a priority offender and has more than 70 convictions of similar or other crimes in his past," he said. "His apprehension was a top priority for investigators."
Robert Powshuk of Coquitlam was arrested several days after the incident and has been charged with robbery and using an imitation firearm.
"Any offence involving a firearm- imitation or not -is a very serious offence," Chung said. "Our robbery section investigators worked around the clock on this case."
Powshuk is also facing two counts of possession of stolen property, theft of a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and break and enter stemming from other incidents in Coquitlam. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance, which is on Dec. 23.
