Sarnia cop hurt, woman charged, man sought after weekend robbery

Sarnia cop hurt woman charged man sought after weekend robbery

A woman was charged after an officer was cut with a knife following a weekend robbery, Sarnia police say.

A woman, charged in January after police said officers seized nearly $12,000 in illegal drugs and a sawed-off shotgun, was charged again Tuesday after an officer was cut with a knife following a weekend robbery, Sarnia police say.

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A man who left a convenience store near Napier and Elgin streets Sunday with some purchases and hopped on an e-bike was accosted by two people, a man who assaulted him and a woman who stole the e-bike, police said.

“The co-ordinated robbery attracted the attention of onlookers, one of whom intervened to stop the assault. This Good Samaritan was stuck in the hand with a knife brandished by the male assailant,” police said.

The two suspects fled with the e-bike, police said.

The man whose e-bike was stolen knew the woman and told officers who she was, but the male suspect hadn’t been identified Tuesday, police said.

Officers arrested a woman at Christina Street North and London Road about 1 am Tuesday, police said. She resisted arrest and, in a struggle, an officer was cut by a large black buck knife.

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“The officer sustained a cut to his right middle finger which required medical attention,” police said.

Sarnia police said an officer was cut with a large black buck knife while arresting a woman on robbery charges early Tuesday morning. (Facebook)

Laura Chesney, 33, of Sarnia, is charged with robbery with violence, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting police, breaching probation and breaching lease, police said.

Chesney appeared briefly in bail court Tuesday afternoon. She became emotional as the justice of the peace kept her in jail pending an appearance Friday. In the mantime, she is banned from contacting the e-bike complainant.

Chesney was one of three people charged after officers with a warrant searched a home on Vimy Crescent. Jan. 23.

Officers seized about $11,800 in drugs – more than 76 grams of fentanyl and nearly three grams of cocaine – $120 in cash and a loaded single-barrel shotgun, police said at the time

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Sarnia police drug raid
Sarnia police issued this photo of more than 76 grams of fentanyl, nearly three grams of cocaine, $120 in cash and a loaded single-barrel shotgun, after a raid on a Vimy Crescent home on Jan. 23. (Sarnia police)

Chesney, Angelique Zombori, 30, of Sarnia, and Michel Alain, of London, all faced charges including possessing drugs for trafficking, carelessly storing a firearm, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possessing a firearm without authorization, possessing a loaded prohibited firearm with ammunition, and possessing drugs, police said.

The gun charges against Chesney were dropped later.

She was granted lease Feb. 6, but was back in custody April 28 after her surety removed themselves. After the weapons charges were dropped, she was released on $750 lease with no need for a surety.

A hearing in that case is set for Feb. 11.

Before Chesney was released Feb. 6, she pleaded guilty to four unrelated charges, three counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of being unlawfully in a house, and drew a suspended sentence and three years of probation. They were her first criminal convictions, but the judge and Crown at the time expressed concern about the drug-related path she was on.

Sarnia police asked anyone with information about Tuesday’s incident or the e-bike’s location to contact Det.-Const. Brad Brooker at 519-344-8861, ext. 6241, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or .p3tips.com.

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