A 31-year-old male is facing multiple robbery charges in connection with a series of personal robberies targeting female customers using ATM bank machines.

The accused male is alleged to have targetted female complainants who were predominantly using drive-through ATM machines at financial institutions in Southwest and Southeast Edmonton over the last two months.

In each of the incidents, it was reported that the accused, wearing a balaclava around his face, would jump into the passenger side of the lone female complainants’ vehicles or approach them in the lobby of the financial institution, as they were about to use the ATM machines. The accused would then indicate he was carrying a weapon and demand cash from the complainants, before fleeing the scene on foot to a vehicle parked nearby.

The series involved six alleged personal robberies that occurred on:

• Dec 26, 2014: Accused demanded an undisclosed amount of cash from a 92-year-old female inside the vestibule of a financial institution near 108 Street and 23 Avenue.
• Jan 12, 2015: Accused jumped into the passenger side of a vehicle and demanded an undisclosed amount of cash from the female driver, who was using the ATM drive through of a financial institution located near 91 Street and 9 Avenue.
• Jan 14, 2015: Accused is alleged to have followed a 71-year-old female home from a financial institution near 108 Street and 23 Avenue, where he demanded and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
• Jan 15, 2015: Accused jumped into the passenger side of a vehicle and demanded an undisclosed amount of cash from the female driver, who was using the ATM drive through of a financial institution located near 108 Street and 23 Avenue.
• Jan 17, 2015: Accused jumped into the passenger side of a vehicle and demanded an undisclosed amount of cash from the female driver, who was using the ATM drive through of a financial institution located near 142 Street and 23 Avenue.
• Jan 21, 2015: Accused jumped into the passenger side of a vehicle and demanded an undisclosed amount of cash from the female driver, who was using the ATM drive through of a financial institution located near 108 Street and 23 Avenue.

On Wednesday, Jan 21, several patrol members were in the immediate area of the 108 street financial institution, where the latest robbery occurred. Members quickly responded and spotted the suspect vehicle near Rabbit Hill Road and 23 Avenue, as a result of earlier vehicle descriptions provided to police.

Michael Schildwachter, 31, was subsequently arrested and charged with robbery (x6),forcible confinement (x4), disguised with intent (x6) and possession of a dangerous weapon(x2).