14 charges laid after Kassie’s Jewelry robbed
December 15, 2015, 1:49 am
Kara Kinna
Fourteen charges have been laid against 37-year-old Steven Scott from Barrie, Ontario after he robbed Kassie’s Jewelry in Moosomin Wednesday, robbed a drug store in Indian Head, and then stole a vehicle in Biggar.
Kassie’s Jewelry in Moosomin was robbed Wednesday afternoon when Scott entered the store asking to try on an expensive watch.
Sandra Davidson, an employee at Kassies, says Scott came in and pulled a stack of bills out of his pocket, saying he had “four grand to spend” and he wanted to buy an expensive watch for his dad.
Nervous about his behavior, Davidson asked store owner Ross Shaw to deal with him. Davidson said Scott seemed “jacked up” and she had a bad feeling about him.
Shaw says Scott asked to see the most expensive watch in the store. At the watch counter, Shaw took out a watch and Scott asked to try it on. Shaw helped him try on the watch. Scott asked if Shaw could adjust the watch strap, and just a Shaw began to answer Scott took both his hands and shoved Shaw backwards. He then turned and ran out of the store with the watch on.
Shaw told Davidson to call 911 then ran after Scott, down Main Street and west on Broadway Avenue. Scott jumped into the passenger seat of a waiting car with a driver.
Shaw says he reached down and grabbed the license plate, which was bent, bending it upwards so that he could read the plate number. He was able to read the plate number before the car sped away.
The RCMP arrived shortly after, and the store was locked up so that the RCMP could take prints. No one was injured and, aside from the watch, valued at $1,400, no other merchandise was stolen.
Moosomin Pharmasave owner Darcy Rambold says Scott was in his store earlier and came to the pharmacy counter.
Rambold says he was wary of Scott and asked Scott if he could help him with anything. Rambold kept his dis-tance and continued to fill prescriptions while asking Scott if he needed anything.
He says Scott became agitated. Rambold says he asked Scott numerous times if he could help him with anything and if he had a prescription. When Scott continued to act agitated and loudly proclaim that Rambold would not help him, Rambold asked Scott to leave his store.
Moosomin resident Blair Rowan also encountered Scott on Main Street in front of Glassers Electronics before the robbery occurred.
“I was walking down the sidewalk and he grabbed hold of me and I turned around and pulled my earbuds out thinking I had dropped something,” says Rowan. “He said ‘hey man, is there anywhere in this town that I can buy heroin?’ And I said ‘I don’t know.’ And he said, ‘Are there no drugs in this town? Do I have to go and rob a pharmacy?’ ”
Rowan says Scott showed him a pocket full of cash and said he really needed drugs. Rowan says he kept walking, but bumped into Scott again at the Shell gas station where he was asking people if they knew where he could buy drugs.
“I don’t normally get freaked out but that kind of freaked me out a little bit,” says Rowan.
After robbing the jewelry store in Moosomin, Scott drove to Indian Head.
At approximately 5:10 p.m., Indian Head RCMP responded to a report of an armed robbery at the pharmacy on Grand Avenue in Indian Head. Scott alluded to possessing a gun, but did not produce one. He fled in a vehicle with an undisclosed amount of medication. Witness statements and surveillance video provided a description of him and the vehicle, which had a woman behind the wheel.
Indian Head and Fort Qu’Appelle RCMP, along with File Hills Police Service conducted patrols in the area. Information from the Ontario Provincial Police provided details about Scott, who was wanted on a number of warrants in Ontario.
Outlook RCMP located and stopped the suspect vehicle just east of Outlook. The female driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene. Scott ignored commands from police and fled in the vehicle. After a short pursuit into Outlook, Scott fled on foot after turning onto a dead end street. Outlook RCMP set-up a perimeter and RCMP police dog service was deployed to the scene.
At 9:10 p.m., RCMP received a complaint of a stolen 2004 Chrysler Intrepid from Outlook and a short while later another complaint of a gas and dash in Rosetown. An employee provided a description of the suspect and the vehicle, which matched the stolen vehicle and Scott. The witness indicated the suspect was headed in the direction of Biggar.
Scott was arrested at midnight near Biggar after RCMP deployed a spike belt on Highway 4 south of Biggar, disabling the vehicle, and arresting Scott.
Scott is charged with:
• One count of robbery
• One count of robbery with a firearm
• Two counts of operation of a motor vehicle while being pursued
• Two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
• Two counts of uttering threats to police
• One count of assaulting a police officer
• One count of theft of a vehicle
• One count of theft under $5,000
• One count of break and enter
• One count of possession of stolen property under $5,000
• One count of breach of probation
His first court appearance was Friday, in North Battleford.
