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Updated: Port Moody Police asks for help identifying liquor-store theft and assault suspects

By Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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Crime

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January 28, 2025

Update: Two suspects have been arrested since this article was posted. As of Feb. 1, police were in the process of recommending charges.

Port Moody Police are asking for the public’s help to identify two suspects following a liquor-store theft and assault.

Officers were called to the BC Liquor Store in Suter Brook Village by an employee on the evening of Jan. 22, around 5:45 p.m. after two young men allegedly stole booze and then assaulted a citizen who tried to stop them.

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“We are turning to the public to help us identify these suspects” stated Const. Sam Zacharias, media officer with the department. “Anyone with information is asked to contact us, or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.”

Both suspects allegedly assaulted the victim outside the liquor store. The victim suffered significant injuries, according to police.

Police were unable to locate the suspects, believed to be in their late teens. They are described as being white, one having dark shaggy hair and wearing a distinct hoodie with yellow markings, and the other having light brown short hair.

Author

Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Having spent the first 20 years of his life in Port Moody, Patrick Penner has finally returned as a hometown reporter.

His youth was spent wiping out on snowboards, getting hit in the face with hockey pucks, and frolicking on boats in the Port Moody Arm.

After graduating Heritage Woods Secondary School, Penner wandered around aimlessly for a year before being given an ultimatum by loving, but concerned, parents: “rent or college.”

With that, he was off to the University of Victoria to wander slightly less aimlessly from book, to classroom, to beer, and back.

Penner achieved his undergraduate degree in 2017, majoring in political science and minoring in history.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, translating this newfound education into career opportunities proved somewhat challenging.

After working for a short time as a lowly grunt in various labour jobs, Penner’s fruitless drifting came to an end.

He decided it was time to hit the books again. This time, with focus.

Nine months later, Penner had received a certificate of journalism from Langara College and was awarded the Jeani Read-Michael Mercer Fellowship upon graduation.

When that scholarship led to a front page story in the Vancouver Sun, he knew he had found his calling.

Penner moved to Abbotsford to spend the next three years learning from grizzled reporters and editors at Black Press Media.

Assigned to the Mission Record as the city’s sole reporter, he developed a taste for investigative and civic reporting, eventually being nominated for the 2023 John Collison Investigative Journalism Award.

Unfortunately, dwindling resources and cutbacks in the community media sphere convinced Penner to seek out alternative ways to deliver the news.

When a position opened up at the Tri-Cities Dispatch, he knew it was time to jump ship and sail back home to beautiful Port Moody.