Hiding employee’s 911 call helps Kelowna police catch robber red-handed

KELOWNA – A gas station employee who hid during a robbery was able to call 911, resulting in a quick apprehension by police.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, Kelowna RCMP received a call about a robbery in progress at a gas station in the 300 block of Harvey Avenue.

Const. Lesley Smith says an employee was able to hide inside the store to call 911 and told dispatchers that she was working with another employee when a man had entered the store demanding money and threatening to harm the cashier at the front counter.

“The male reportedly had his hand inside his coat pocket and gestured that he was concealing a weapon as he threatened the employee,” she says. “The suspect then grabbed an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.”

Police already in the area drove up to the station and found the suspect still inside.

"The male suspect allegedly threw a handful of Canadian banknotes into the air upon seeing the officers enter the store," she says in a media release. "He was subsequently handcuffed and arrested on site.”

Officers found a kitchen knife concealed in his jacket.

Clayton Moote, 25, of Kelowna faces charges of robbery and uttering threats.

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