A 38-year-old man is facing robbery charges following an attempted hold up at a coffee shop and a violent robbery at a gas station in Sarnia.
The Sarnia Police Service said on Friday at around 4:30 a.m., went to a coffee shop on London Road near Pontiac Drive and demanded money from the employee while motioning as if he had a knife in his pocket. The employee refused and the man threw a punch, which missed its target. He then pushed the cash register and other items on the counter towards the employee in an aggressive manner before leaving the coffee shop.
About 30 minutes later, the same man entered the Petro Canada station on Indian Road North where he went behind the counter and assaulted the employee. He demanded money, which the victim gave him, as the man continued to assault the employee. The man eventually took off from the gas station heading south.
Police officers located a suspect at around 5:30 a.m. as he was walking in the area of Capel Street and Admiral Avenue. Matthew Floyd Bird, 38, of Sarnia is now charged with robbery with intent and robbery with violence. He was held for a bail hearing, which was held Friday morning.