Petrolia woman charged in Sarnia bank robbery

February 10, 2017

A 61 year-old Petrolia woman is facing four charges in connection with a Sarnia bank robbery.

On Feb. 1, a woman dressed in a black hoodie walked into the CIBC on Front Street in Sarnia around 4 pm and demanded money from the cashiers saying she would shoot them if she didn’t get it. She left on foot and was arrested at a London Line motel later that day.

37-year-old Lindsay Rene Smith faces seven charges including robbery with threats of violence, public mischief and two counts of breach of probation.

On Saturday, Sarnia police went to an apartment building on Greenfield Street and searched an apartment. During the search a quantity of cash was located that was determined to be from the bank robbery along with a small amount of methamphetamine.

A 61 year-old woman,  Deborah Benusik, , was arrested and charged with robbery, accessory to robbery after the fact, possession of a controlled substance, possession of property obtained by crime and conspiracy to commit the indictable offence of robbery.

She was held in custody for a bail hearing.

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