Employee and customer injured in failed robbery on Saskatchewan Avenue

A 29-year-old man is in custody following an attempted robbery at a business on Saskatchewan Ave. West in Portage la Prairie, Tuesday evening.

The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on July 29, when a man entered the store, demanded cash, and struck an employee with a wooden stick.

He did not get any money, but as he fled, he hit a 74-year-old female customer with the stick and threw a piece of concrete at another customer, who has not yet been identified.

RCMP officers arrived quickly and found the suspect in a nearby parking lot, where he was arrested.

The employee and the elderly customer suffered minor injuries. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who knows the unidentified male to come forward.

Izzy Vermette, 29, of Portage la Prairie, faces several charges, including robbery with an offensive weapon, three counts of assault with a weapon, and mischief under $5,000.

Vermette remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

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