Kamloops RCMP have released surveillance photos of a suspect after a Salvation Army Kettle was stolen at the Superstore in Sahali on Wednesday.

It was one of two kettle robberies this week – the second was on Tuesday afternoon at the London Drugs on Lansdowne Street.

Spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn says the suspect in the Superstore robbery was a white man, standing about five-foot-ten. He was wearing a puffy jacket, black ball cap, black scarf around the neck and nose, blue jeans with rips, and a grey shoulder bag.

Police were called around 7 p.m. that night, Dec. 8, to a robbery in progress at the Superstore. They say the suspect fled as police were en route, but not before he grabbed the kettle from a volunteer who was walking it to his vehicle.

“A struggle followed and the victim fell to the ground, as the culprit made off with the collections. No injuries were reported,” Evelyn said. “The suspect was last seen running west toward Summit Drive.”

In the robbery at the London Drugs, the first suspect is described as an Indigenous man standing about five-foot-seven. At the time, he was wearing a big green jacket and a bandana face mask.

Evelyn says he was with two women at the time, both were Indigenous as well and between five feet and five-foot-three. One had a a chubby face, shoulder length hair, dark clothing, while the other was wearing dark bulky clothing at the time.

Police say the robbery happened around 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday night, Dec. 7. They say a volunteer who was collecting donations was approached by the trio who threatened to bear spray him. They also tried to remove the kettle with bolt cutters, but when that failed, they took the whole tripod and walked away.

“These robberies not only hurt the families who are relying on the Salvation Army for support over the holidays, but are also traumatic for the volunteers out there collecting,” Kamloops RCMP Superintendent Sydney Lecky said.

If you witnesses either robbery, or if you have surveillance or dash cam footage, you’re asked to call Kamloops RCMP and reference file 2021-42645 for the Lansdowne robbery, 2021-42793 for the Columbia Street West robbery.