A male suspect got more than he bargained for when he tried to rob the River Bend Store in Port Alberni.
The suspect walked into the River Road store on Friday, Oct. 12 at approximately 1 p.m. Once inside, the suspect wandered around the store before covering his face with a scarf and walking to the till with weapon, Port Alberni RCMP Cst. Shelly Schedewitz said in a news release.
The store owner pepper-sprayed the suspect, who immediately fled from the premises. Police surrounded the area but a search came up empty handed.
The suspect is described as a six-foot tall thinly built Caucasian male with short blonde hair, 20-25 years of age and soft spoken.
The incident was the second theft attempt at a local business that same day.
At 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 12, the owner of the Beaver Creek Market was awakened from his sleep in the store's office by two loud bangs. The owner went into the store aisle area and found a man dressed in black who'd entered the premises by smashing the front door. The man fled on foot after seeing the owner.
Police surrounded the area but never found the suspect.
Anyone with any information about either incident is asked to call police at 723-2424, or to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Police are warning business owners to be vigilant about their security measures, and to not intervene if an incident takes place.