Apna News Brief
Two women were arrested Thursday afternoon after two separate shoplifting incidents in downtown Vancouver allegedly escalated into violence against security guards, Vancouver police say.
At about 3:20 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, police received a theft report from a clothing store near Granville and Robson streets. Staff said a woman had stolen several items of clothing and left without paying, and when a security guard tried to arrest her, she allegedly became violent and bit the guard on the hand. The 60-year-old woman was arrested for robbery and remains in custody.
About an hour later, in the same area, a woman allegedly stole a speaker from an electronics store and tried to leave without paying. When a security guard attempted to take her into custody, she allegedly slashed the guard’s arm with a weapon and threatened to kill him before fleeing.
A description of the suspect was broadcast to officers working downtown, and about 20 minutes later a Special Municipal Constable spotted a woman matching the description near Mainland and Nelson streets. Officers arrested her without incident. The 43-year-old woman was taken to jail and remains in custody, charged with one count of theft, one count of uttering threats, one count of assault with a weapon, and one count of assault causing bodily harm.
“These incidents highlight the dangers that frontline retail workers and security staff can encounter,” said Constable Megan Lui. “Violence and threats against people preventing crime are unacceptable, and the Vancouver Police Department remains committed to holding offenders accountable.”
(Source: Vancouver Police Department, November 13, 2026)
