Penticton man arrested for holding up gas station with needle

A Penticton man that held up a Kelowna gas station using a hypodermic needle and later pepper-sprayed Walmart staff in West Kelowna while trying to steal laptops has been arrested.

According to a Kelowna RCMP media release, the suspect got away with a carton of cigarettes following the gas station robbery that took place around 6 a.m. June 3.

Later that day at roughly 4:30 p.m., two Walmart store assistants were pepper-sprayed as the man attempted to steal multiple laptops.

On both occasions, the suspect got away, but police identified him from video surveillance taken during the gas station robbery.

At an undisclosed time, the suspect was seen by an off-duty West Kelowna RCMP officer getting into a taxi. After the cab dropped the suspect off in the 1600 block of Pandosy Street, police arrested him following a brief chase on foot.

"This coordinated effort shows the excellent work done by the Kelowna Regional Detachment," Kelowna RCMP Sgt. Desmond Kiehlbauch said in the release. "Mr. Hardie has put the public at risk with his recent brazen actions and his arrest will hopefully stop him from traumatizing the public and businesses."

Robin John Hardie, of no fixed address out of Penticton, was charged in relation to the two robberies and breaching conditions of a court order imposed after a series of previous robberies last month.

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