STRATEGIC PARTNERS
February 13, 2003
TORONTO -- A theft attempt on an armored truck ended in a standoff at a nearby adult video store where the two suspects had sought refuge.
According to a report on Canada.com, suspects Dave Alfrancis Wilson, 32, and Esron Constantin Laing, 40, on Feb. 12 approached two Universal ATM employees who had parked their truck at a Scotiabank branch.
The suspects were armed with a 9mm handgun and an assault rifle.
When they ordered the guards to drop their weapons, the guards complied and the suspects took their weapons. The suspects then took an undetermined amount of cash and ran from the scene to the rear of a nearby plaza.
As police arrived in the area, the suspects entered a Mega Adult Video Store and held the store customers at gunpoint. An employee, not seen by the suspects, managed to call the police who surrounded the store.
After a brief standoff, both suspects surrendered to police and were arrested.
A check of the loaded assault rifle determined that the ammunition was capable of piercing bulletproof vests.
Police said both of the accused men were deported from Canada after serving sentences for for armed robberies in Toronto in the early 1990s. Since then they have both been deported again, twice each, after returning to Canada illegally.
They face 23 charges each, including armed robbery, forcible confinement and numerous firearm offenses.
