A 37-year-old woman is in police custody after allegedly biting and threatening employees at a Vancouver Island Canadian Tire over the weekend.
Mounties say the suspect was trying to steal a bike, two TVs, a fishing rod and a backpack full of other goods from the Courtenay store on Saturday morning when a female staff member confronted her.
“She was approached as she was exiting the store about not paying for her items, at which point she became aggressive,” said Const. Nicole Hall. “It escalated and at that point she threw down the bicycle and pulled a flare gun out of her coat.”
The suspect allegedly shoved the flare gun, which had been painted black and resembled a firearm, into the employee’s stomach and told her: “I’m going to kill you.”
Two male staff members jumped in to help, knocking the flare gun out of the suspect’s hands and struggling to restrain her.
“She pulled out a knife and they knocked that out of her hands as well,” Hall said. “At that point she bit one of the employees on the back and again on the arm, and she managed to escape.”
Unfortunately for the suspect, an employee had already called Mounties – who happen to have a detachment next door – and officers arrested her in the parking lot.
Courtenay resident Mandy Lynn Bouzane has been charged with robbery using a firearm and assault. She remains in custody.
Hall said authorities are crediting the employees with assisting in the arrest, but do not generally condone getting involved in potentially dangerous confrontations.
“They definitely helped slow her down so we could get there in time to catch her, but we wouldn’t recommend it necessarily if it comes down to personal property versus personal safety,” she said.
