Man accused of breaking into restaurants, stealing $10K worth of booze

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This article was published 04/12/2024 (276 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man is charged with breaking into more than 15 Winnipeg businesses and stealing $10,000 worth of alcohol.

Police were sent to a restaurant on the 200 block of Provencher Boulevard on Monday at 4:55 a.m. after a report of a break and enter.

Officers arrived to find a window smashed in and two suspects inside the building. One was immediately taken into custody but another ran out, police said in a news release. When an officer managed to chase him down, the suspect sprayed bear spray in his face. The officer was still able to place the suspect in handcuffs and a knife was found in his possession, police said.

The officer received medical treatment after being sprayed.

Surveillance video linked one of the suspects to break-ins and thefts at more than 15 businesses, mostly restaurants in the St. James and Provencher neighbourhoods, between Nov. 3 and Dec. 2.

One St. James restaurant was hit three separate times between Nov. 3 and Nov. 8.

The man is also accused of robbing restaurants on Madison Street, St. Matthews Avenue, Euclid Avenue, Sargent Avenue, Empress Street, Border Street and Provencher Boulevard.

A beauty salon on Henderson Highway, mechanical business on St. James Street, construction store on Century Street and tattoo parlour on Provencher were also broken into.

John David Nickerson faces 17 break and enter charges and a possession of a weapon charge. Greysky Ridge Olson has been charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, possession of a weapon and one count of break and enter.

Both were detained in custody.