GROTON, Conn. — Police believe a series of robberies in New London County on Friday night are connected. In a matter of hours, a convenience store, a marketplace, a smoke shop, and three gas stations got hit.
FOX61 spoke with a clerk at Pump N' Munch Convenience Store in Groton, one of the places that got robbed.
“It's a little bit scary, you know," said Muhammad Tayyab, who works at Pump N' Munch Convenience Store.
Tayyab wasn't working the night someone came in and stole at least $1,500, but their boss was.
"He’s scared. He didn’t work Saturday," Tayyab said.
On Friday night, a man held the owner at gun point and stole from him. The whole thing was caught on the surveillance video in the store. The owner can be seen complying with the suspect, and handing over the money. Advice he gave his employees afterward.
“Don’t worry. Don’t (be) scared. Just tell him, ‘Take it, take it whatever you want'" Tayyab said, describing what their boss told them.
Tayyab said they don't recognize the man in the video as one of their regular customers.
Police say the same man may be connected to a string of other robberies happening on the same night in neighboring towns.
“The laws need to be stronger. They really do. And there’s not much you can do about it," said Brian Orowson from Norwich, who goes to one of the gas stations that got robbed all the time. "It's a shame," he said.
Police say the robbery streak all started at the Mobil gas station in Franklin on 62 Route 32 around 7:30 p.m. on Monday. A man came in with a gun, demanded money, and left with about $600.
Less than 20 minutes later, the same thing happened at a gas station in Norwich on Washington St. Police say the suspect was seen wearing a gray/black mask with a black hat, black puffy winter jacket, gray sweatpants and black shoes.
Then, the Price Cutter Vape and Smoke Shop in the Quaker Hill neighborhood of Waterford was robbed and stole an undetermined amount of money. Waterford Police describe the suspect as a man with "at least one tattoo on his hand, wearing a black winter hat, tan baklava style face mask, black long sleeve jacket, grey sweatpants, and black sneakers."
Minutes later, the robberies continued at Pump N' Munch Convenience Store in Groton, another gas station in Stonington, and finally, a market in Ledyard. Police there also giving a similar description for a suspect.
At least $7,500 taken from all stores in under two hours.
The different police departments from each town are working together, trying to find at least one suspect.
In the meantime, some of the stores are changing their hours.
"I used to open the store like 5 o clock, but now I'm opening at 6 o clock. Because it’s dark in the morning so, that’s why. A little bit scary," Tayyab said.
If you have any information on the robberies happening at either of the six locations, call your local police department. Eastern District Major Crime Detectives are also involved in at least one of the incidents.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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