Police look into string of robberies
1/13/2014Four holdups at South Toledo businesses have spurred extra police patrols in the area, officials said.
Police do not yet know if all four incidents are related, but investigators believe there are one or two groups committing the crimes because of proximity, descriptions of the robbers, and the method of operation, said Sgt. Tim Noble.
The first of the most recent spate of robberies was reported Thursday at Dollar General, 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd. A man wearing a black mask walked into the store just before 10 p.m. with a gun behind his back, according to a police report.
The man pointed the gun at a cashier and demanded she open the register and put cash inside a Dollar General bag. The robber fled with an unspecified amount of money, police said.
The robber was described by authorities as black, and 6 feet tall with a thin build. He carried a black revolver.
The next night, at 8:40, a man with a sock over what appeared to be a gun went into Great Clips, 5350 Airport Hwy., and demanded the cashier open the register and put the money into a plastic grocery bag, according to a police report.
The robber took the money drawer from the employee and emptied it into the bag. A second employee came out from a back room; the robber ordered them to get on the ground and to not get up for five minutes, police reported.
This robber, who got away with about $200, was described as white, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and 150 pounds.
On Saturday, at 10 a.m., a man with a revolver approached a Dollar General employee who was smoking outside of the store at 2857 Airport.
The gunman pointed his gun at the employee and forced him into the store, and then ordered the manager to open the register and put the cash into a Dollar General bag, according to a police report.
The gunman yelled and told the employees to hurry up, banging his gun on the counter the entire time, police said. After getting an unspecified amount of cash — and checking the registers to see if there were any large bills underneath the cash drawer — he fled.
Authorities described the gunman as black, about 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 170 to 185 pounds, in his late 20s, and wearing his hair in dreadlocks.
Sunday night, at 8:57, a man went into Subway, 2121 S. Reynolds Rd., and demanded that the employee give him cash.
It was not clear if the robber had a gun, but he acted as if there were a weapon in his coat pocket, police said. The robber put the cash into a white plastic grocery bag and fled. He was described as black, 24 to 28 years old, 6 feet tall, and weighing 180 to 200 pounds.
All of the men were described by witnesses as wearing dark clothing.
Also on Monday, Calvin Tuttle, 34, of 4337 Hill Ave. was indicted by a Lucas County grand jury for aggravated robbery with a firearm specification and robbery.
Mr. Tuttle was arrested Jan. 4 and is accused of robbing Star Beauty Supply, 48 S. Byrne Rd. in South Toledo, on Jan. 3.
Prior to Mr. Tuttle’s arrest, several other South Toledo businesses were robbed, including Baskin Robbins, 1313 S. Reynolds, on New Year’s Eve, and In-and-Out Mart, 2125 S. Byrne, on New Year’s Day.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stopper program at 419-255-1111.
Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.