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Police trying to catch robbery suspects
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Whether or not it’s the same crew that is committing a string of armed robberies at stores across the city in October, there’s one thing police know for sure: They want to catch them before someone gets hurt.
Two robberies Wednesday, one at a 1504 Oak St. Dollar General and another just before 9 p.m. at a 2708 Glenwood Ave. Family Dollar, gave the city at least seven armed robberies of similar stores in October, according to Vindicator files.
In the robberies Wednesday, two armed men got inside, demanded money and got cash before leaving.
On Sunday, the Oak Street Dollar General was also robbed by two armed men who stole money.
Earlier in the month, an armed man tried to get inside the same store just after it was closed but could not.
On Market Street, the Family Dollar store there was robbed Oct. 13 and Oct. 16 by three armed and masked men, and the store was broken into three times after hours by men captured on security cameras stealing items off of shelves and putting them in backpacks.
On Oct. 10, someone pistol-whipped a clerk during an armed robbery at the McGuffey Road Dollar General.
In that robbery, three men were inside and at least one of them was armed.
Police Chief Robin Lees said investigators are operating under the assumption that the same crew is carrying out most of the robberies, but he added there is a possibility that there could be two different crews.
Lees said officers are increasing their patrols around the stores and also traffic stops that could yield clues as to who may be responsible.
It appears the culprits are not going to stop until they are caught, Lees said.
He also said there is a concern that even though no one has been seriously hurt yet, having groups of people running around pointing guns at others in a volatile situation may lead to someone getting injured, which is why the department wants to catch them as soon as possible.