NEPEAN – Ottawa police have arrested a suspect in the case of a shoplifter who doubled-down with a carjacking on May 4.

The Ottawa Police Service Robbery Unit has charged a 31-year-old man following an investigation into a robbery and carjacking, which occurred in the 3000 block of Strandherd Drive on Saturday, May 4 at 2:25 p.m.

A male suspect entered a retail store carrying a duffle bag. He proceeded to fill the bag with merchandise. Employees and customers confronted the suspect. The suspect then punched one person and tried to punch another and fled the store.

The suspect then jumped into an occupied parked car. He pulled out a knife, threatened the occupants and told them to drive away. After driving a certain distance, the suspect told them to get out of the vehicle. They were not injured.

The investigation linked the suspect to two other incidents within the 3000 block of Strandherd Drive, which are a shoplifting incident on April 14, 2019 as well as a retail robbery incident on April 20, 2019.

Josh Pearsall, Ottawa, faces 12 charges in total related to the crimes.