Mississauga jewellery store robber sentenced to nine years in jail, second suspect still on the loose

A daylight robbery and shooting in Mississauga has landed a Toronto man behind bars, but a second suspect is still at large along with more than $1.5 million in stolen jewellery.

Around 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2020, police say two suspects entered a jewellery store at Airport Rd. and Derry Rd. in Mississauga.

One of the suspects was reportedly armed with a black and silver handgun, and police said the robbers used zip-ties to bind customers and an employee during the hold-up.

But an employee of the store followed the suspects out to the store’s parking lot area where he attempted to retrieve one of the stolen jewelry bags.

That’s when the victim was shot twice at close range by the armed suspect during the struggle, according to police.

Both suspects fled the scene in a white BMW X4 SUV.

Police say the pair made off with over $1.5 million worth of jewellery and gold, which still hasn’t been recovered after more than a year-long investigation .

A little more than a month after the robbery, police executed a search warrant in Toronto and arrested 30-year-old Olakunle Banjoko.

He was charged with attempted murder, robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent and two counts of failing to comply with a weapons prohibition order.

Banjoko pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to wound, aggravated assault, robbery, and breach of a weapons prohibition order last month.

He was sentenced to nine years and seven months behind bars.

But the sentence still doesn’t bring an end to the case, as police say the second suspect is still at large.

Police have released a photo of the wanted fugitive, who was wearing a rubber mask depicting a bland man with a long black beard at the time of the heist.

He is described as male, approximately six-feet-tall with medium build.

Anyone with information about the robbery or the whereabouts of the second suspect is asked to contact the Peel Regional Police at 905-453-2121 ext. 3410.

You can also contact Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously y calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.