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Robbery suspect arrested

A Surrey man is in custody following an investigation by New Westminster police last week. On June 24 at about 10:20 a.m.
Police Line

A Surrey man is in custody following an investigation by New Westminster police last week.

On June 24 at about 10:20 a.m., local patrol officers were called to the 1100 block of Royal Avenue after receiving reports of an armed robbery in progress, but when officers arrived, the suspect was gone. Witnesses told investigators that a lone man had robbed the business at knifepoint, managing to steal a small amount of cash before police arrived, according to a press release from the department.

The case was taken over by New West's major crime unit, and together with the forensic identitification section and operational support unit, investigators were "quickly able to identify a suspect," the release stated.

"This is an excellent example of intelligence-led policing, with several of our units working together to gather the evidence necessary to identify and arrest this subject," Staff Sgt. Paul Hyland said in the release. "We are extremely pleased that this individual is now safely off the streets."

Surrey resident Brent Crane was arrested on July 2 and has been charged with one count of robbery, one count of attempted theft of a vehicle under $5,000 and one count of mischief to property under $5,000.

Crane, 31, was in court on Friday (today) and will remain in custody until his next court appearance on July 9 in New Westminster.