Police say the Tuesday night holdups, about 15 minutes apart, seem to have been the work of the same men.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published December 18, 2003
CLEARWATER - A trio of armed bandits robbed two businesses within 15 minutes Tuesday night.
No one was injured in the stick-ups, though police said the suspects did fire a round into the floor during one of the robberies.
"The descriptions are similar, the M.O. is similar," Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor said of the robberies. "The investigators are working on the predicate that it was the same three individuals."
But Shelor said investigators have not learned of any other recent, similar holdups in the area.
The first robbery was at 7:57 p.m. when the three men barged into the Stop n' Go, 1760 Drew St. One of the men bounded over a counter, ordered the clerk to the floor and grabbed money from the register. The men also got a customer's wallet, police said.
At some point, one of the robbers fired a bullet into the floor. No one was injured.
The robbers left the store, got into a blue Chevrolet Corsica and drove off.
At 8:11 p.m., three men entered Clearwater Bait & Tackle, 2999 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. Again, one robber jumped the counter and grabbed money from the register. No one was injured.
The men were last seen running away. No vehicle was seen.
The two businesses that were robbed are fewer than 4 miles apart.
Shelor said one of the robbers was taller and perhaps older than the other two. He stands about 6 feet and may have been in his mid 20s. The other two stood between 5-6 and 5-8 and appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s. The three men are black, and all three carried handguns.
The taller man wore dark pants and a white T-shirt that he pulled over his face during the holdups. He wielded a revolver.
The other robbers wore dark clothes and carried handguns.
Got a tip?
Anyone with information about the robberies can call Clearwater police at 562-4080.
