Vancouver police say a shoplifter allegedly threatened a grocery store worker with a meat cleaver in the downtown area on Monday (Jan. 3) morning.
A staff member in a Robson street grocery store noticed that the suspect wasn't wearing a mask and asked him to put one on. In response, the man allegedly pulled a knife and threatened the worker; he also allegedly left the store without paying for his groceries.
“Because the victim called police right away, VPD officers were able to respond quickly and arrest the suspect, who was trying to leave in a taxi,” says VPD Sgt. Steve Addison.
“The stolen goods were returned to the store and the suspect was taken to jail. Fortunately, nobody was physically hurt.”
Cody Echlin, 23, was charged with one count of robbery and released on bail.
