Woman pleads guilty for rendezvous robbery
By Delon Shurtz on June 12, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com Chelsey Marie Beringer had her victim all picked out. It was a man she met when she previously worked at a Coaldale liquor store, and with whom she became friends on Facebook.On the morning of May 7, 2020, the 23-year-old woman called the man and asked him to come to Coaldale, but he said he couldn’t because he was too drunk. He messaged Beringer later in the day, however, and she offered him sex for $400. That was a conversation the two had never had before.
The man said he only had $200, but the two agreed to meet, with one condition: Beringer was not to bring her boyfriend.
At about 11 p.m. the man pulled into the parking lot of Tim Horton’s in Coaldale, and Beringer got into his car. As he began to drive away, Beringer told him to stop because she had arranged to sell some weed. A tall man wearing a hospital mask and carrying a kitchen knife walked up to the car and climbed into the back seat, then held the knife to the driver’s neck. Beringer demanded the $200, and the masked man — Beringer’s boyfriend  — repeated the demand and threatened to cut the victim.
The three went to a bank where the victim withdrew the money from the ATM, and the masked man handed it to Beringer before they returned to Tim Horton’s. Beringer kicked the man, stole his cellphone and threatened to kill him if he called the police. The masked assailant, who remains at warrant, also threatened to kill him.
The two robbers fled on foot and the victim called the police, who reviewed bank video surveillance footage. At one point the male robber uncovered his face and looked directly at the camera. Both suspects were arrested within a day of the robbery.
Beringer, who currently lives in Saskatoon, Sask., pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court to charges of armed robbery and uttering threats. The judge ordered a pre-sentence report on Beringer’s personal circumstances, and the matter was adjourned to Sept. 15 for a sentencing hearing. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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