Accused Kelowna robber foiled by employee who could not open register

Cops catch accused robber

Photo: Kathy Michaels

FILE-Kelowna Law Courts.

A man was refused bail this week after being arrested on suspicions of the attempted robbery.

The 50 year old man is accused of going into the Rutland Shoppers Drug Mart on Feb. 3, and intimating to a store employee working near the till that he had a gun hidden in his jacket.

He then is alleged to have demanded money from the employee who didn’t have the capability to give him the contents of the cash register, due to it being her first day on the job, according to the Crown counsel in the case, Alexander Wheel.

The court heard that the man allegedly reiterated the demands more loudly, prompting some other people to go toward him.

When more people went into the store, he left and police were called. Two officers found the man by a Rutland bus stop and he was arrested.

The man refused to give his real name, but the court heard a search incidental to the arrest resulted in the discovery of an envelope addressed to “Ryan Bray” from a B.C. ministry.

Police ran the name Ryan Bray and confirmed his ID via photo.

He had previously been charged with theft under $5,000 relating to a July 2025 meat theft from Superstore. He’s also alleged to have breached conditions of his release several times.

Bray will remain in custody on warrants and remains detained until he goes to trial on theft and robbery.