Police have arrested a 17-year-old youth after he robbed a woman with a gun in Duncan on Dec. 4.

At approximately 5:45 p.m. that day, the young woman was robbed at gunpoint in the 400 block of Cairnsmore Street.

The victim was walking alone and was approached by a the young man brandishing what appeared to be a handgun.

The youth stole her purse and fled the area, while the woman went to a nearby residence and called 911.

Immediate patrols of the area were unsuccessful in turning up the suspect.

Sgt. Chris Swain, a spokesman for the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment, said that due to the seriousness of the offence, a lot of resources were assigned to the investigation and after a short, but intense investigation, a suspect was identified.

“The suspect was arrested without incident the next day,” he said.

“The firearm used in the offence has been located and found to be a replica BB Gun. The suspect is appearing in court (on Dec. 6) on a charge of robbery. North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP was able to solve this serious crime quickly, removing the suspect and the firearm from the streets. We continue to ensure that a safer community is one of our priorities.”