A Red Deer man has been charged in connection with a robbery early Sunday morning at a convenience store.
Police responded to an armed robbery at the Express 24 on Howarth Street just after 3 a.m.
It’s alleged that a lone male entered the store, brandished a hammer and demanded money and lottery tickets. He took off with an undisclosed amount of both.
Then at about 7:10 a.m. a police officer observed a man acting suspicious near the hospital. He stopped to talk to the man, who was known to police, and determined he was wanted on a recent theft. A subsequent search of the man revealed he was in possession of numerous lottery tickets and his clothing matched the description of the suspect in the robbery.
Police investigated and discovered that the same man was charged with possession of stolen property in connection to a similar robbery from the same Express 24 on July 10.
Robert Richards, 29, of Red Deer, has been charged with one count of robbery, one count of theft, and two counts of failing to comply with an undertaking.
Richards, in custody, was set to appear in Red Deer provincial court Monday morning.