Four young men from Sackville are facing charges in connection with an attempted robbery last week on York Street.
Two 18-year-olds were expected to appear in court yesterday (Tuesday) morning on charges of attempted robbery with violence, while the other two young offenders will be heading to court at a later date.
The four youths were arrested earlier this week after an RCMP investigation led police to the suspects.
Sgt. Paul Ouelette of Sackville’s RCMP detachment said his members were able to identify one of the suspects during the investigation, who subsequently turned himself in after police contacted him.
“And through that, we were able to identify the others,” said Ouelette.
The attempted mugging occurred just after midnight on July 7.
“A young couple – a man and a woman – were out walking when they were accosted by four young males demanding money,” said Ouelette.
“There was some pushing and shoving that went on . . . but the man managed to call 911 with his cell phone. As soon as he made the call, they (the four suspects) fled the scene.”
It was a quick altercation, said Ouelette, in which the suspects left empty-handed. He said there was no indication that drugs or alcohol, nor any weapons, were involved.
Following the incident, police put out a call to the public to assist in identifying the suspects and Ouelette said at the time he was concerned that the suspects might try again.
“I fear that, because they were unsuccessful in their attempt, they may arm themselves next time. So hopefully we can resolve it as quickly as possible before it happens again,” he said last week.
He also warned local residents to be extra vigilant when walking the streets late at night. Ouelette said he doesn’t want to instill fear in the community but insisted it’s important for citizens to be aware of possible situations that might occur.
“It’s an instance that’s real unusual for Sackville . . . but people really need to be careful walking at night,” he said.
