Ryan Jewellers was open for business Wednesday morning after an attempted robbery the previous day where pepper spray was used.
First responders rushed to the store located in ValleyFair Mall at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, when Ridge Meadows RCMP received a call about a robbery in progress.
RCMP said their officers immediately attended the area and learned that two masked male suspects had entered the shopping centre and attempted to rob the business.
However, mall security interrupted the men, who then deployed bear spray and fled the area.
Police were able to contain the scene, they reviewed video surveillance, and spoke with witnesses to identify possible suspects.
Stephen Lisik, who was in the mall at the time of the incident, said when the bear spray was used he knew to immediately go outside and get fresh air.
“I had a sore throat, coughing, and sneezing (until late) last night,” he said.
Lisik noted he saw mall security chase somebody outside.
Maple Ridge firefighters and BC Emergency Health Services provided help to bystanders affected by the bear spray.
Brian Twaites, paramedic public information officer with BCEHS, said they only treated one person on scene, and nobody was transported to hospital.
No further injuries were reported, said police.
Ryan Jewellers in ValleyFair Mall has been the target of thieves over the years.
In March of 2013, a man entered the store and walked away with jewelry valued between $3,000 to $4,000.
At the time owner Thanh Cao said in his 15 years of owning the business, he has had one gunpoint robbery, but such brazen thefts are rare.
Then in 2014 it was targeted two more times, and both times thieves managed to steal thousands of dollars in merchandise. This time, Cao noted that such thefts occur at his store four to five times a year.
In 2022 thieves attempted to rob the store three more times with pepper or bear spray used in all of those incidents. And then in December that same year, there was a pepper spray incident in the mall, unrelated to the jewelry store.
Police said investigation of the latest incident is ongoing as officers continue a number of investigate steps including liaising with other law enforcement partners.
Anyone with more information, who hasn’t already spoken to police, is asked to contact Maple Ridge RCMP at 604-463-6251 and quote file #2026-6573.
• The News has also reached out to Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue and will update the story as information becomes available.