Calgary police arrested and charged a man they believe was responsible for robbing “at least nine people” in downtown Calgary last week after receiving information from the public.
In each incident between May 10 and 12, a man approached a woman, showed a knife and robbed the victim of their cash, wallet or purse, according to police. The incidents happened on downtown LRT platforms or along 8 Avenue S.W., with one incident in the Beltline near 12 Avenue and 11 Street S.W., officers previously said.
After police released CCTV pictures on May 17, they identified the suspect and his home in the 1000 block of 7 Avenue S.W. He was not home at the time, so officers sought authorization for a search warrant, which was conducted on May 18.
“Several evidentiary items were seized that confirmed the suspect was in fact connected to the robberies,” police said in a news release on Wednesday.
Later on May 18, police received a report of a “suspicious male who looked similar to the suspect depicted in the media” and arrested the man.
“Several other items were seized at the time of the arrest connecting him to the robberies,” officers said.
Ryan Sami Henniche, 20, has been charged with robbery (in connection to an incident on May 11), illegal use of a credit card and breaching a release order.
Henniche is scheduled for court on May 20.
The investigation into the evidence seized and the other reported robberies is ongoing, and further charges are expected to be laid, police explained.
“We acknowledge the impact these robberies had on many of our citizens in the core. This type of violence will not be tolerated by us, or by fellow citizens,” said Insp. Clare Smart in a news release.
“Several resources were dedicated to the swift apprehension of this suspect, in conjunction with members of our community who came forward to provide information critical to identification and subsequent apprehension.”