Winnipeg man arrested after preying on seniors, robbing them

Marcel Albert Paul, 50, was arrested after robbing seniors on multiple occasions stretching back to early spring.

Police had previously asked help from the public finding Paul in April.

He was arrested Tuesday at the remand centre where RCMP had dropped him off after picking him up on a warrant of robbery.

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“He’s been involved in a number of incidents, I’m sure there’s a number of incidents that he’s been involved with that we haven’t known about yet,” Cst. Jay Murray said Wednesday. “And that’s one of the reasons for this release, is to encourage anyone to come forward.”

Paul has been charged with “a number of offences” in connection to the below incidents:

• March 2: Suspect posed as a maintenance worker and entered the suite of a 77-year-old woman. After he left the victim reported her purse had been stolen.
• March 11: Suspect approached an 85-year-old man in a grocery store and pretended to be an old acquaintance and obtained personal information. That information led the suspect to the victim’s home. The victim later reported that cash had been stolen.
• March 22: Suspect approached a 65-year-old man in a grocery store on Main Street. He once again pretended to be an old acquaintance, offering to help the victim with his groceries to his home in the Elmwood area. When they arrived at the home, the suspect hugged the victim and attempted to steal his wallet.
• March 31: Suspect arrived at a grocery story and approached a 68-year-old woman. The woman reported her purse and keys were missing. Her car was stolen and has yet to be recovered.
• April 1: Suspect arrived at a grocery story and approached a 78-year-old man, pretended to be an old acquaintance and obtained personal information. The suspect then went to the victim’s home and introduced himself to his wife. The victim arrived home and the suspect fled.
• April 6: Suspect arrived at a home on Ottawa Avenue where he posed as a Manitoba Hydro employee and entered an 89-year-old man’s home claiming there was a gas leak in the basement. The suspect then left. The 89-year-old man later reported cash and identification were stolen.