Mounties in Richmond are warning residents that several robberies are under investigation.
According to officers three robberies took place between July 3 and July 9, all in Richmond's downtown corridor.
In those cases, victims were walking when police say "they had either a cell phone, purse or satchel snatched from their hands by a male suspect riding a bike."
In addition to those robberies, Mounties say they're investigating two others, plus one attempted robbery, where a suspect targeted someone who had recently taken out cash from an ATM.
Those crimes took place in the afternoon and early evening between June 30 and July 5 near the following three banks:
- TD Canada Trust at 8500 No. 3 Rd.
- RBC at 10111 No. 3 Rd.
- CIBC Bank at 8751 No. 1 Rd.
The suspect in those robberies is described as a white male in his late 20s or early 30s, heavy set, around six feet tall and with short, dark hair.
"We have several teams of officers from our General Investigation Section working these cases. We would like to remind the community to be especially vigilant and pay close attention to your surroundings," said Cpl. Dennis Hwang in a news release.
If walking alone, do periodic checks around you and keep your attention focused. If you are carrying a purse or satchel, placing it central to your body makes it harder to dislodge from your shoulder."
In the case of the ATM robberies, Hwang recommended making sure cash is out of sight before leaving the bank.
"In one of the incidents, the attempted robbery was thwarted by screaming and making a lot of commotion which was overheard by bystanders," he said.
Anyone with information on these crimes is asked to contact Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212. Or, to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
