For the third time in a month, grocery store employees were found tied up in their workplace.
Investigators are exploring the possibility that the latest incident Thursday in Orleans is associated with similar incidents where store employees were bound in early morning grocery store robberies on Dec. 8 and Dec.22 on Merivale Road.
“We’re mindful that it appears to be the same people,” said Ottawa Police Constable Al Boucher Thursday.
At approximately 5:40 a.m., Ottawa police responded to a robbery at The Independent grocery store at 1619 Orleans Blvd., where they found six employees bound and confined in a closed area of the store.
Although some items were stolen in the robbery, police did not say what they were.
There were no injuries to any of the employees.
The suspects fled the scene prior to police arrival. Police are now looking for three firearm-toting suspects.
The first suspect is an English-speaking male, between 20 and 22-years-old, 5’6″ tall, 125 lbs. with blue eyes. He was wearing a beige vest, black balaclava and black gloves.
The second suspect is an English-speaking male, between 20 and 22-years-old, 6’0″ tall and between 180 to190 lbs. He was wearing a green shirt, beige pants, black balaclava and black gloves.
Police don’t have a description of the third suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Robbery Section at 613-236-1222 ext. 5116, or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477 (TIPS).
