Surrey: On June 15th 2013, Travis JENSEN-PICKFORD, better known as the “Surgical Mask Bandit” was arrested in relation to twelve armed robberies which spanned over a period of 35 days in White Rock and Surrey. JENSEN-PICKFORD, a 23 year old White Rock resident was arrested without incident.
From May 12 to June 15, 2013, twelve robberies were reported where the victims were robbed by a masked male. The robbery suspect was described as a Caucasian male, 6’0″ tall, medium build, with short brown hair, and blue eyes. In all twelve of the robberies, JENSEN-PICKFORD would disguise his appearance with a surgical mask or a bandana covering the lower half of his face.
As a result of a month long investigation, the Surrey RCMP Robbery Section is recommending a total of 36 Criminal Code charges against JENSEN-PICKFORD: 12 counts of Robbery w/ a Weapon, 12 counts of using an imitation firearm in commission of an offence and 12 counts of Disguise with Intent. None of the victims were injured as a result of the robberies.
The robberies were all similar in nature as JENSEN-PICKFORD approached his victims while they were withdrawing money from the Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”) located in the bank vestibule. All twelve robberies occurred during non-banking hours when the banks were closed. JENSEN-PICKFORD has been remanded in custody.
“Due to the frequency of these incidents I know that many residents in our community are pleased to see this individual locked up and off our streets,” says Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet. “Crimes such as these are usually perpetuated by desperate individuals who can be somewhat unpredictable. As a result we are happy that no one was hurt and that this investigation has come to a successful conclusion.”
Surrey RCMP would like to re-emphasize the importance of being aware of your surroundings when withdrawing funds from an ATM. Protect your pin number, refrain from withdrawing large amounts of cash, and always secure your money at the ATM before walking away with money in hand. In the event of a robbery, try to remain calm and cooperative. Never assume that the perpetrator isn’t armed and try to pay close attention to what they look like before calling the police as soon as it is safe to do so.
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