Armed robberies were reported at Spokane Valley two convenience stores Saturday and today, but police don't yet suspect a serial robber.

"Armed robberies always go up over the holidays. It's an annual thing," said Sgt. Dave Reagan, spokesman for the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. "I have not heard from any of our detectives that they suspect these are linked."

The first robbery occurred Saturday just after 3 a.m. at the Holiday Gas Station, 2303 N. Argonne Road.

A man in a black ski mask, gloves, dark pants and a white t-shirt and holding a black semi-automatic handgun ran northbound from the store after stealing an undisclosed amount of money. He was described as a thin white man in his late teens or early 20s.

Then this morning, a man in a black ski mask and carrying a black pistol stole a small amount of cash from Zip Trip, 15504 E. Fourth Ave., after tossing the clerk a bag. The man ran southbound from the store about 2:30 a.m. to a nearby apartment complex, where a sheriff's K-9 lost his scent.

The robber was described as a white man in his early 20s, 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds. He wore black gloves, black pants, black shoes and a black puffy coat over a white shirt.

Anyone with information on either robbery is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

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