A woman has been charged in connection with the robbery of a Downtown Vancouver jewelry store that turned into a security scare for Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell.
Lindsay Cleela Farrell appeared in court on Tuesday on five counts of assault with a weapon, kidnapping using a firearm, robbery with a firearm, and the use of a firearm during the commission of an offense. All charges were in connection with the May 4 robbery of the Monte Cristo Jewellers on West Hastings St.
The 25-year-old homeless woman has been remanded in custody until her next court date on May 11.
Vancouver police are still looking for a man in connection with the robbery.
After being hit with two armed robberies in less than 18 months, the owners of the jewellers are calling for a change in B.C. law that will allow them to post an armed guard at their door.
Marcella Cusano said she was enraged when her family's business was robbed at gunpoint on Monday.
"I couldn't believe this was happening again," Cusano said.
"You feel violated. Someone comes in and in a number of minutes takes away everything you've worked for over 30 years."
During the daylight robbery, a man and a woman entered the West Hastings St. store posing as customers. The pair pulled out weapons and demanded high-end watches, shoving a gun into Cusano's face.
"She said 'you're not going fast enough, take out the Rolex, we want all the Rolex,'" Cusano said.
"The fellow screamed 'if they move just shoot them -- just shoot them!'"
The pair made off with a significant amount of watches and other goods.
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The incident strikes a little too close to home. The Monte Cristo's Oakridge location was brazenly robbed in November 2007. Cusano's brother-in-law was injured during the heist after he tackled one of the intruders.
Cusano is asking B.C. to change its laws to let her company put armed guards outside or inside their jewelry stores.
"Other provinces in Canada such as Ontario do have that and I think they are a deterrent to robbers coming in the store," Cusano said.
Attorney-General Wally Oppal said in an interview Tuesday he is considering changing B.C.'s laws to allow certain types of security guards to carry guns.
"I understand what they're saying," Oppal said.
"I understand the safety conditions and what they're concerned about and I think we might well have to take a look at that."
But until the law changes, Cusano says she has to make a decision every time a customer rings the bell inside the store.
"They were dressed like two ordinary people coming in to purchase a watch," Cusano said. "How are you gonna know? You just don't unfortunately."
The number of jewelry store robberies has more than doubled in 2009 -- to nine. By May 2008, there had been just four, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson.