THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Police Service officers with the Uniform Patrol Branch were dispatched to the 2000-block of Sleeping Giant Parkway after 10:30 pm. on Wednesday, Jan. 1 following reports of an armed robbery.
When police arrived they learned a male had entered the Delta by Marriot Hotel where he apparently approached a male working the front desk and took a cell phone belonging to that clerk.
When questioned by the clerk the accused briefly showed a metal object presumed to be a firearm and made threats.
The male suspect fled the area with the victim’s cell phone.
The cell phone was tracked via GPS to an area near St. Paul Street and Red River Road. Police located a male in that area who matched the description of the suspect provided by witnesses.
The suspect immediately told police he had used a harmonica, and not a firearm, during a robbery at the hotel. The accused directed police to the stolen cell phone, which he had left in a nearby parking lot.
Officers located the phone and a harmonica in the area.
The investigation is ongoing.
A 23-year-old Thunder Bay man is now charged with Robbery with an Offensive Weapon, Breach of Probation and Failure to Comply with Judicial Release.
He is expected to appear in bail court Thursday.
The Thunder Bay Police Service would like to remind the public that many devices now come with GPS tracking and built-in or third-party applications that allow users to find lost or stolen phones. Please do not attempt to retrieve a stolen phone without police assistance.
