Armed robberies hit two businesses
Employees in both cases said the robbers wore masks.
BOARDMAN -- Police are investigating reports of armed robberies at two township businesses.
An employee of Labor Ready, on Market Street, told police that a man wearing a hooded sweat shirt with a cloth or a mask covering part of his face came into the business about 6 p.m. Thursday waving a handgun and demanded money.
When the employee said she didn't have any money, the robber jumped over the counter, grabbed her telephone headset and threw it on the floor. He then reached behind the counter and took 185 that was sitting there.
The man picked up the phone and demanded her car keys. She handed them over and he left in her car, headed south on Market Street.
Boardman-Poland Road
About 10 p.m. Thursday, two employees of Rondinelli Tuxedo, Boardman-Poland Road, reported being robbed as they were leaving work.
The two women told police that when they opened the door to leave the business, a man wearing a hooded sweat shirt and a leather mask and holding a gun forced them back inside.
He demanded the business's deposit and money from three registers, totaling 1,300. He also took identification from both women and threatened that his partner would find them if they called police. The employees didn't report seeing another person with the robber.
He said, "At least give me 20 minutes," a police report said, before he ran out the back door.
Police reports indicate that the same man committed both robberies and note that both the guns and sweat shirts were different colors in both crimes.