Arrests made after Halloween store employee pepper sprayed

Two women have been arrested after an attack on a worker at a north London, Ont. store.

The London Police Service (LPS) is investigating after an employee was pepper sprayed, Const. Sandasha Bough told CTV News London on Thursday.

Police and ambulance responded to Spirit Halloween at Fanshawe Park Road and Richmond Street about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday night after an employee was allegedly assaulted.

In a press release issued Friday by LPS, police say that at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, two women entered the business where they were then observed concealing items in bags and were subsequently asked to leave the store. An argument broke out, and one of the employees was assaulted with pepper spray. 

Police were contacted, and the two women fled the store. 

“Fortunately the victims did not sustain serious injuries,” adds Bough. 

London police say that both women were later arrested at their residences.

As a result of the investigation, a 19 and 22-year-old from London have been jointly charged with theft under $5,000.

The 19-year-old has been individually charged with the following offences:

• Assault with a weapon
• Assault

Both women were released from custody and are due in London court on Nov. 22 in connection to the charges.

Store employees declined to speak on-camera.

A source tells CTV News London off camera that this was not an isolated incident.

The person says there have been seven different incidents over the past three months in which employees of the store have been physically assaulted.