St. Petersburg incident: suspect detained after threatening workers with a pruner during a robbery attempt

In St. Petersburg, following an unsuccessful shoplifting attempt, a man started threatening store workers with a pruner, as reported by the Telegram channel Russian Guard of St. Petersburg. About 5:20 p.m., the suspect attempted to pull a piece of raw meat from a display without paying, but an employee noticed the act, pressed the alarm, and moved to block his path to prevent a theft. During the confrontation, the man then removed a bottle of alcohol from the shelf and began drinking from it to steady his nerves before turning the pruner on the workers. The tension escalated quickly as he brandished the tool, signaling a potential act of violence. A platoon from the National Guard intervened and detained him. Investigators found that the individual had a prior criminal record. Law enforcement authorities are examining the circumstances, motivations, and factors that contributed to the incident, including any connections to earlier theft patterns or criminal behavior. Earlier reporting indicated that several serial thieves who had targeted huts near Moscow had been detained; those cases are noted as part of the broader context of theft and property crime within the region. Inquiries continue to clarify the timeline, the suspect’s actions, and the protective measures used by store staff during the incident for future reference and safety planning. [citation attribution: official sources and news aggregations]