Man in hospital after hatchet robbery

August 14, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

A 73-year-old man is in hospital after being assaulted during a robbery by hatchet at an Aurora convenience store.

Leroy Robinson, a 49-year-old man from Aurora, is being held in custody following the incident which happened at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning at Mac’s at the corner of Yonge Street and Wellington Street East.

He is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, assault with intent to resist arrest, and dangerous weapons.

“On Tuesday, August 13, at approximately 1 a.m., a male suspect armed with a hatchet entered the Mac’s convenience store located at 14 Wellington Street East,” said Constable Blair McQuillan of the York Regional Police in a statement. “The suspect approached the victim, a store employee, and assaulted him before taking products and leaving the scene on foot.

“At approximately 1.20 a.m., police located the suspect in the area of Industrial Parkway and Wellington Street [and] the suspect was arrested at that time.”

Constable McQuillan told The Auroran that Robinson’s arrest was not without incident.

‘When uniform officers and canine officers tried to make the arrest, there was a brief physical confrontation,” he said, noting two officers were involved in bringing him in. He added the suspect made off from the convenience store with quantities of food and lottery tickets rather than cash.
“Sometimes people are motivated to take product and sometimes they are motivated to take cash and sometimes both,” he said. “It depends on what they are looking for and the reasons they want to take it.”

Robinson was due to appear in the Newmarket courthouse for a bail hearing as The Auroran went to press on Tuesday.

While Constable McQuillan said he was unable to elaborate on the precise nature of the victim’s injuries, such as whether they were a result of a physical confrontation or involving the weapon, he described the injuries as serious, but not life-threatening.

Employees at Mac’s on Tuesday would not speak to the specifics of the robbery, but said they had been in touch with the victim’s son that morning and he was “doing good.” The victim, they said, was conscious and they were hopeful he would be released from hospital by the end of week.

Police encourage anyone with information to contact the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423 x.6630, or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS and online at www.1800222tips.com.

HEARING FOR WILLIAMS’ TEACHER POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER

A hearing into harassment charges levelled against Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School teacher Susan Milburn has been postponed until September. The case was heard in court Tuesday where it was put over until Wednesday, September 11.

Ms. Milburn, a resident of Tottenham, was arrested and charged with nine counts of criminal harassment on June 3, accused of sending threatening letters to approximately 12 fellow Williams’ employees.

The charges have not been proven in court.

With files from Jeff Doner