Squamish RCMP last week arrested a man in connection with the recent robbery of the local branch of Royal Bank.
The robbery occurred last Tuesday (Sept. 6) at 3:30 p.m., when a man entered the bank and produced a note stating that he was armed with a gun and demanding money. The suspect escaped by bicycle after having been given an undisclosed amount of cash.
Afterward, police issued a pair of photographs taken from bank surveillance video to the media. Late Thursday (Sept. 8), authorities said they were looking for Christopher David Prokopchuk, who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for parole violations and, according to the statement from RCMP Sgt. Wayne Pride, "may be in the Squamish area." Prokopchuk was also wanted for a bank robbery in Vernon, during which he allegedly produced a handgun, Pride said.
On Friday (Sept. 9), local police stated that Prokopchuk, who was a suspect in the Royal Bank robbery, had been located and arrested without incident in the downtown area. Pride shared his appreciation with the media and public for their assistance with the case, but declined to provide further details.
Homes entered, equipment stolen
Police received two separate reports of home break-and-enters in the area of The Boulevard in Garibaldi Highlands on Monday (Sept. 12), with similar results. In one instance, a home in the 2000 block was entered through a bathroom window between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Stolen were a number of cameras and other camera equipment.
Then, between 10 and 11:45 a.m., another home in the same area was broken into, possibly through an unsecured back door. Stolen were a laptop computer, a number of cameras and a DVD players, Pride said. An occupant of the home phoned The Chief and appealed to the perpetrators to return the items, or at least the data contained therein, as it was of great personal value and was not backed up.
Assault charge pending
Police responded to a report of an assault in the 30000 block of Government Road on Friday (Sept. 9). A 26-year-old Squamish man is being charged with assault with a weapon after having attacked another man with a broom, injuring the victim.
Bear reminder issued
Police are reminding residents to be diligent in keeping garbage and other attractants secured after a number of reports of bears having become habituated to garbage and human presence, particularly downtown. "We remind all to assist in this area and take the time to ensure their garbage is properly disposed of," Pride said.
Fraud warning
Police this week received a report of a male calling a home claiming to be from Telus, trying to diagnose computer problems in the area. The caller asked the homeowner to turn on the home's computer and provide an IP address. The caller was quite persistent, calling the owner four times over five days and attempting to get the information.
Telus officials advised police that they do not use this method of diagnosing computer or Internet problems. Pride asked the public not to provide any personal information and to report any similar incidents to Squamish RCMP at (604) 892-6100 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
