Teens arrested after armed robbery in Southwest borough
Montreal police have arrested three teens following an armed robbery Monday evening near Jolicoeur Metro station in Côte-Saint-Paul. The arrests come as police continue to investigate three separate muggings in nearby Saint-Henri.
The teens, all aged 15 or 16, followed a man from the Metro station around 8:20 p.m. last Monday, said Montreal police Cmdr. Pierre Liboiron.
"The victim turned around and asked the people what they wanted, and at this moment one of them showed a knife and another took out a baton," he said.
The man gave the teens his backpack, which contained his wallet and cell phone, said Liboiron. After the teens left, the man went to a friend's house to call 911.
According to Liboiron, a police officer nearby soon arrived at the scene and was able to gather information indicating where the teens had gone. Another officer arrested the trio at a McDonald's restaurant in Verdun.
The teens are scheduled to appear in youth court on Wednesday and face charges of armed robbery, possession of stolen goods and breach of probation.
Police cannot say at this point if the teens were involved in three other muggings under investigation in Saint-Henri, added Liboiron, the Verdun commander who is filling in for his colleague responsible for Saint-Henri.
On Dec. 1, a man was viciously beaten and robbed. Just three days later, two men were mugged within 15 minutes of each other. All three victims were walking on or near Notre-Dame Street in Saint-Henri.
Liboiron said more police officers have been posted around Metro stations at night in the borough.
Lasting impact on community
In recent days, many Saint-Henri residents have said they no longer feel safe in their own neighbourhood.
Craig Sauvé, the city councillor for Saint-Henri, Little Burgundy and Pointe-Saint-Charles, said the arrests are good news, but the recent events will have a lasting impact on the community.
"It's going to be important for people in the neighbourhood to hear [of arrests]," said Sauvé. "They're worried about their safety."
He noted that many members of the community are coming together to try and improve safety through different initiatives like a "walk safe" program that pairs up people heading home or efforts to identify problem areas, such as dimly lit streets.
As for the muggings in his community which have yet to be solved, Sauvé said he believes police have serious leads which could end in other arrests.
