It took more than tracks in the overnight snow to find a violent robbery suspect, but Prince George RCMP still made their way from the scene of the crime to the suspect's door.
"Very good police work was involved here," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. "The fresh snow aided the investigation, however had there not been any fresh snow we are confident we would have located this suspect anyway."
Surveillance cameras and other leads were used, said Douglass, which will be explained more fully should the case make its way to court.
The suspect, who already has a long criminal record, is now charged with breaching previous probation orders, as well as mischief, robbery and weapons offenses.
The weapon allegedly used was a machete, brandished to make the robber's point to a clerk at the Mohawk station on Central Street West. The clerk was forced to give over a small amount of cash.
"The presence of a weapon, even though the weapon wasn't used to harm anyone, was still an act of violence," explained Douglass.
"It becomes a violent act anytime someone is taking something from you by force and there is a physical threat to you, or a threat to your family, anything that causes you to fear harm if you don't comply. It is whether the threat is real to the victim."
It was just after 5 a.m. Thursday when this suspect took action against the gas station clerk. It was about an hour later that police made their arrest, locating their suspect at a residence in the 3600 block of 5th Avenue.
The 23-year-old male in custody is a Prince George resident. He had a court hearing scheduled for later on Thursday where it was expected formal charges would be laid.
