Charges have now been laid against a Chilliwack man arrested after a robbery at a jewelry store in Sevenoaks Shopping Centre in Abbotsford on New Year’s Day.
Scott Kuebeck, 28, has been charged with robbery in relation to that incident, as well as three other robberies in Abbotsford and one in Chilliwack.
He is also a suspect in several other Chilliwack robberies, and more charges are expected.
The jewelry store incident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Jan. 1, when a man entered the business and selected several items with the help of an employee.
He then pulled out a knife, demanded cash and fled with the jewels and money.
Police, including a K9 unit, arrived at the scene and arrested a suspect in a nearby restaurant parking lot after a brief foot chase and tracking by the police dogs.
Keubeck has also been charged with three previous robberies in Abbotsford.
One occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 at a hair salon in the 2300 block of Whatcom Road. The suspect in that incident brandished a knife, demanded cash and ran away.
The two other incidents took place on Dec. 29. One occurred at 12:25 a.m. at a hotel in the 1800 block of Sumas Way.
The robber suggested that he had a gun, was given a small amount of cash, and then ran off.
At 7 p.m. that day, a suspect entered a bank in the 32400 block of South Fraser Way and gave a teller a note that said he was carrying a weapon and wanted cash.
No weapon was actually produced in the latter two robberies.
Kuebeck has also been also charged with a robbery that occurred at about 4 p.m. on Dec. 19 at a business in the 9200 block of Young Road in Chilliwack.
The suspect in that incident demanded money from an employee and then ran away with the stolen cash. Police conducted a thorough search of the area but were not able to find the suspect.
Cpl. Mike Rail of the Upper Fraser Valley regional detachment says another eight robberies were reported to RCMP by businesses in Chilliwack from Dec. 26 to 30.
During their investigation, police quickly linked the nine robberies in Chilliwack with the incidents in Abbotsford, Rail said.
He said a report has been sent to Crown counsel for consideration of further robbery charges against Kuebeck.
At the time of his arrest on Jan. 1, Kuebeck was on probation for a previous fraud conviction in Abbotsford, for which he had received a five-month conditional sentence.
He also has prior convictions for robbery, theft, break and enter, and breaching his probation.