WINNIPEG — RCMP have arrested a man following a string of bank robberies in southern Manitoba between November and January.
The robberies started in Steinbach on Nov. 10 and continued in smaller rural communities — Lowe Farm, Glenboro and twice in Miami.
Investigators say in each case a man handed the teller a note demanding money, sometimes indicating he had a weapon.
No shots were fired and no one was injured, and police say the man got away with thousands of dollars, some of which has been recovered.
This week, police arrested 30-year-old Brett Ashton Krashel in Morden and charged him with five counts of robbery.
The Mounties say the break in the case came after the fifth robbery when they obtained details of a licence plate.
"While the vehicle did not belong to the suspect, it helped investigators to narrow down and eventually identify a person of interest," Insp. Tim Arseneault said Thursday.
More than 70 people were involved in the investigation.
"This was not an easy investigation as it spanned four communities and some crime scenes are separated by more than 200 km," Arseneault said.
"A clear pattern was emerging and we knew that these robberies were going to continue until a suspect was identified and arrested."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2023
The Canadian Press
