A man suspected of robbing a Youbou convenience store jumped into Cowichan Lake to evade police, but didn’t get far.
Lake Cowichan RCMP said a man wearing a mask and a hoodie entered the store and threatened the owner with a chisel.
He pushed her out of his way, grabbed the cash drawer from the register and fled.
The owner’s husband gave chase and found the suspect hiding in a nearby yard adjacent to the shoreline of the lake. The man then jumped into the water and swam to a log boom.
He surrendered without incident when RCMP arrived and was found to be in possession of a quantity of cash.
Police said the weapon was disposed of in the lake and later recovered by the RCMP dive team.
Travis Katzel, a 20-year-old Duncan resident, appeared in court this week on charges of robbery and wearing a disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence.
