Thieves target customers during liquor mart robberies in Winnipeg

The liquor mart thefts continuein Winnipeg and nowcustomers are getting caught in the middle.

A 16-year-old girlthrew a bottle and hit a security guard and also threw one at a customer in one of many robberies she is alleged to have done in provincial liquor stores around the citybetween July 17 and Sept. 18.

Police say she stole more than $4,000 in alcohol overthe course of nine incidents.

The bottle-throwing one happened Aug. 28, while during another incident on Sept.18, the girlturned a bottle upside down and threatened to hit an employee as she left the store, police said.

She was arrested later that same day, around10:30 p.m.,on Garfield Street in the city's West End.She has been charged with numerous theft and robbery-related offences.

A28-year-old woman has also been charged for several liquor store theftsunrelated to those of the teenaged girl, but was arrested the same day.

Police say she stole more than $5,100 worth of alcohol from provincial liquor marts in Winnipeg betweenApril 18and July 1.

In all, there were 18 incidents.

During six of those, she sprayed employees and sometimescustomers with bear spray,police said. Threats were made to spray people intwo other incidents.

She was arrested Tuesday at a home in West St. Paul.