CITY CENTER — A string of convenience and liquor store robberies over the last few weeks has police searching for suspects and clerks on edge.
Liquor stores, a gas station and an eatery across Victory Boulevard and Olive Avenue have been targeted by one and sometimes two Latino suspects using similar techniques, police said.
“This is the type of crime in Burbank that comes in spurts,” Police Sgt. Robert Quesada said. “We’re looking at connections in each of the incidents.”
In most of the robberies, one or both suspects entered the businesses and approached the counter. When the store emptied, the suspects approached the register pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money from the register, police said.
In at least six recent attempted or successful robberies since Aug. 14, the first suspect is described as being in his late teens to late-20s, about 5 feet 5 and 150 pounds. The second suspect is described as in his late teens to late-20s, and about 5 feet 8.
In each of the cases, witnesses reported men with closely cropped or shaved heads, which along with similar descriptions is leading police to suspect the same bandits.
“They’re close,” Quesada said. “Certain people see different heights, builds. When people are under stress they get tunnel vision.”
Starlite Liquor at 3510 W. Victory Blvd., was robbed at 1:35 p.m. Thursday by a Latino man who entered the store, pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money. When the clerk opened the register, the man reached over and grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash. He darted out of a rear door and disappeared into the alley, police said.
While witnesses spotted no vehicle, the man was described as 20 to 25 years old, up to 5 feet 9 inches tall and about 170 pounds. Quesada said he was wearing a Raiders cap, a black short-sleeved T-shirt over a gray shirt and blue jeans.
The day earlier, three stores in the 2500 through 2700 blocks of Olive Avenue were hit between 3:25 and 9 p.m. The first occurred at Village Market Liquor at 2713 W. Olive Ave. The male suspect entered the store and demanded cash from the register, lifting his shirt and displaying a black handgun in his waistband, police said.
When the clerk hesitated, the man grabbed a donation jar from the counter and walked out of the store. Management then called police, Quesada said.
Some of the affected business owners refused to be named for fear of retaliation, clerks said.
