A 17-year-old St. Andrews youth has been charged for armed robbery after recently being arrested by Selkirk RCMP.

On January 27, 2018, at approximately 3pm, Selkirk RCMP responded to a report of an armed robbery that occurred on Sveinson Street located in the city of Selkirk. Upon arrival, officers met with the victim who advised that he had been robbed by a suspect with a machete.

The victim explained to officers that he had arranged, through the Letgo App, to sell his “Bathing APE” hoodie sweater for $1,000. The victim and the buyer had agreed to meet in Selkirk. The buyer arrived at the meeting location and was about to examine the sweater when he pulled out a machete and told the victim to leave. The victim attempted to retrieve his sweater but was struck with the machete. The victim was not injured.

Police say that the suspect fled the scene with the sweater in a black coloured BMW.

Officers began to patrol the area and during the course of the investigation, received tips that led to a residence in the RM of St. Andrews. A 17-year-old youth was located and arrested for armed robbery. He was subsequently remanded into custody. The sweater was also recovered.

“It’s extremely important that safety be your number one priority when selling items online,” said Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the Manitoba RCMP. “We encourage you to meet in a public space, bring a friend, and if the situation seems unsafe to leave immediately. In this instance, the victim was very lucky that he was not injured.”