Metro Vancouver Transit Police say a man has been charged after an alleged cell phone robbery near a Surrey SkyTrain station, where a man allegedly grabbed a woman’s phone, pushed her to the ground and straddled her at the waist.
In what transit police are calling a “violent” incident, a woman was walking past King George SkyTrain Station while using her phone on Nov. 27 around 5:30 p.m. when she was allegedly robbed.
As she walked past the station entrance, “a man standing there allegedly grabbed at her phone and tried to wrestle it from her grip.”
“A brief struggle ensued, with the suspect pushing the victim to the ground, on her back, while straddling her at the waist,” the release states. “He then allegedly pushed the victim’s face toward the ground and pulled the phone from her grip.”
Transit police said that as the suspect walked away with the woman’s phone, the victim “followed him to try and get it back.” He then allegedly pushed her into some bushes before running away.
Several witnesses came to the victim’s aid and waited to speak to police, according to the release.
Transit police said that a short time later, Surrey RCMP were attending an “unrelated call for service in the area.” After dealing with the person on their call, officers “determined he matched the description of (transit police’s) suspect.
When officers searched the man, they found the woman’s found, police said. He was then taken into custody.
Aaron Sutherland, 41, is charged with one count of robbery. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m. at provincial court in Surrey.
Sutherland, of no fixed address, is well known to police, according to the release.
.@TransitPolice say a man's been charged with robbery after an alleged cell phone robbery near King George Station, in which a man grabbed a woman's phone, pushed her to the ground while "straddling her at the waist," stealing her phone + pushing her in bushes. #SurreyBC
— Amy Marie Reid (@amyreid87) December 5, 2019
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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