Ottawa police release photos of suspects in Barrhaven eyewear store robbery

Ottawa police are seeking three suspects following a robbery at an eyewear store in Barrhaven earlier this week.

As CTV News Ottawa first reported, the incident happened at around 7:25 p.m. Monday at Eyes of Barrhaven on Strandherd Drive. Four people came into the store and started taking product off the shelves. The store owner and other bystanders wrestled one suspect to the ground and held him until police arrived, but three others escaped.

Now, police are looking for information about those three additional suspects.

The suspects are described as follows:

• male, 40-50 years old, white, balding brown hair with a goatee;
• female, 30-40 years old, white, black hair and black Timberland hoodie;
• male, white, wearing a mask.

Anyone with information as to the identity of these suspects or this incident is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service Robbery Unit at 613-236-1222 extension 5116.

Ottawa police are looking to identify three suspects in connection with a robbery at a store on Strandherd Drive, June 10, 2024.

Ottawa police arrested one man at the scene. 

Shane Albert, 40, is charged with robbery with violence, possession of property obtained by crime, theft, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and breach of probation.

Store owner Awni George told CTV News Ottawa on Thursday he believes he's lost more than $15,000 worth of merchandise to multiple recent thefts and he suspects the same people were involved each time.

"It's very damaging to a small business that we have to constantly be in this state of fear, in the state of alarm. And at the same time, financially, we're burdened by these criminals constantly coming in and committing these crimes against us," he said.

George said he is installing additional security measures, including requiring customers to buzz in to the store after 6 p.m. 

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy