Man, woman, facing 27 charges for series of armed robberies in Toronto
Posted February 10, 2021 6:16 pm.
Toronto police have arrested a man and a woman in connection with a series of six armed robberies in the city that took place over more than a year and a half.
Police say the robberies occurred between March 7, 2019 and November 11, 2020 at retail stores between Dufferin to Keele streets, from St. Clair Avenue West to Bloor Street West.
Each of the robberies were conducted in the same way — with the man entering the store wearing a mask while the woman waited outside in a car as the getaway driver.
The man would use a firearm or knife to threaten the store clerk and force his way behind the counter while demanding cash and physically assaulting the clerk.
Once he obtained cash, the man would flee to the waiting vehicle.
After an investigation, the pair was identified and a search warrant was executed on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of Joel Gomes, 33 and Stacey Downey, 32, both of Toronto.
Gomes is facing 24 armed robbery related charges including six counts of disguise with intent, four counts of robbery with an offensive weapon and five counts of carrying a concealed weapon. Downey is facing three charges — robbery while armed with a firearm and possession of property obtained by crime both over and under $5,000.
Both were scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
