Three males have been arrested following a cellphone robbery last week and Port Moody Police believe the suspects may have been involved in similar incidents in other parts of the Tri-Cities.
The trio are facing charges of robbery and wearing a disguise while committing an indictable offence when they allegedly wore balaclavas while robbing two people of their cellphones last Thursday.
Bear spray and a crow bar were brandished during the commission of the theft and an extendable baton was recovered following their arrest Sunday, Insp. Brad Sheridan said in a press release. Evidence was also recovered after police executed search warrants at each of the suspects' homes and a vehicle.
The three males are Port Coquitlam residents and are believed to have been involved in similar robberies in the Coquitlam area. Port Moody Police have been working with the RCMP to assist in their investigations.
In the middle of December, local Mounties announced they were searching for three suspects after a spate of cellphone robberies in Coquitlam.
RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung told The Tri-City News at the time there had been four robberies since the beginning of December and descriptions of the suspects in each case were similar.
"The suspects usually approach a victim and ask for the time," Chung said. "When the victim takes out his smartphone to check the time, the suspects allegedly produce a weapon and rob him of his phone."
The first incident occurred on Plateau Boulevard at Whitepark Place and the second occurred along Walton Avenue. A third robbery occurred north of the City Centre Aquatic Complex and the most recent theft took place at the basketball courts at Town Centre Park.
All of the suspects are described as males between 5'7" and 5'8" tall with slim builds; one is believed to be of Middle Eastern decent while a second suspect is black and the third is Caucasian.
In most of the cases, a weapon was brandished and the victims were mostly young Asian or Middle Eastern teenagers, Chung said.
