Surveillance photo
An armed robber wouldn’t take no for an answer, but authorities aren’t likely to give him credit for persistence. In fact, police intensified their hunt for the unidentified, knife-wielding bandit last Wednesday and Friday with the release of surveillance videos.
The same crook targeted two Far Northeast convenience stores within a half-hour early on Aug. 3, then a third on Friday, police said. He fled the first attempt empty handed, but made off from the second and third hold-ups with bags of cash.
At about 2:40 a.m. Aug. 3, the robber burst into the 7-Eleven at 9901 Frankford Ave., approached a 43-year-old male clerk, pointed a knife at him and demanded money. When the clerk backed away, the robber ran out the front door and northbound on Frankford. The clerk was waiting on a patron at the time, but neither man was injured.
About 30 minutes later, a robber fitting the same description arrived at the Wawa at 9456 State Road, pointed a knife at a clerk and demanded money. The employee stuffed an undisclosed amount of cash from the register into a plastic bag for the bandit, who fled northbound on State. No injuries were reported.
The robber was described as white, 5 feet 6 inches tall and thin with a gray hoodie, tan pants, gray shoes, black mask, pink hat and pink glasses.
The latest hold-up occurred at about 12:20 a.m. Friday at the Wawa, 10550 Knights Road, when the bandit approached a 61-year-old store employee outside the business, pointed a knife at him and forced him inside. Once inside, the clerk surrendered an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.
The robber fled on foot westbound on Clarendon Street. He was described as white, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds. He wore a dark gray button-down hoodie with black sleeves and the hood up, along with a blue bandanna over his face, black gloves and light gray sweatpants.
A similar robbery occurred at the same Knights Road Wawa on July 14 at about 12:30 a.m. and involved a 6-foot, 1-inch, white man with a thin build and a knife. That crime was not connected to the same bandit. Police have made an arrest in the July 14 case.
Visit the Philadelphia Police channel on YouTube.com to view the latest surveillance videos. Call 215–686-TIPS or text to PPD TIP to report information about the cases. ••
