Police work to solve six robberies
By John Joyce
Published in News on December 1, 2015 1:46 PM
The Goldsboro Police Department is working to solve a string of armed robberies dating as far back as Nov. 19.
At least six local stores have been struck, possibly more. Investigators are not sure at the moment which, if any, of the robberies are connected.
"We can't say yet. We have not looked at all of the video from each of the locations," Maj. Anthony Carmon said.
Investigators are also working to determine whether those cases that are connected are being perpetrated by some sort of a group or if they are dealing with one suspect, acting alone.
"We haven't established yet whether it's the same group or individual," he said.
No one has been injured so far in any of the recent robberies at local gas stations, dollar stores and tobacco shops, but in the latest incident, shots were fired.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, an unknown subject wearing a black face mask and black hoodie walked into the Tobacco World convenience store located at 523 E. Ash St., and fired three shots. The clerk at the store said nothing was taken, but a glass display case was damaged during the incident, according to the police report.
"He fired into the ceiling," Carmon said.
Later that same evening, at 8:43 p.m., a black man dressed in black and wearing a camouflage mask entered the Dollar General at 1015 N. Spence Ave. The man, armed with a handgun, ordered everyone in the store onto the floor. He then demanded money from the cash register, received an undisclosed amount of money from the clerk and fled on foot, according to the report.
In at least two earlier incidents, the suspect wore a camouflage mask and brandished a handgun.
On Friday at 8:16 p.m., an armed subject wearing a camouflage mask entered the Family Dollar at 423 S. George St., pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money. He was handed $198 in cash and he fled on foot, the police report said.
A similar incident unfolded at Duke's Beauty Supply at 513 E. Ash St. where, on Nov. 20 at 6:50 p.m., the store and two employees were robbed at gunpoint. More than $1,900 was taken in that incident between the amount that was in the cash register and what the clerks had on them, according to that report. The suspect was described as wearing black gloves, black jeans, white sneakers and a camouflage mask.
Two other incidents also under investigation involved similar style robberies, minus the camo mask. Robberies at the former Wilco Hess gas station -- now a Speedway -- at 400 E. Ash St. on Nov. 19 and at the Asiya Market, 501 E. Ash St., at 6:46 p.m. on Friday are being looked into by police.
Carmon said there is nothing any of the businesses robbed did to make themselves vulnerable to attack. Nor is there any surefire safeguard other businesses can take to prevent from being robbed.
"Looking at the incidents we have had, I can't see anything the businesses could have done. There are no particular weaknesses in their business plan," he said.
Each robbery continues to be investigated, Carmon said. In the meantime, patrols have been informed to step up the alert on suspicious persons and suspicious vehicles, as are the normal precautions taken during the holiday season, he said.
But, if confronted with an armed robbery situation, it is always best to comply with the directions given, Carmon advised.
"When confronted, comply with any demands and do not risk physical injury," he said.