Armed Robberies May Be Linked

Spokane is experiencing a new rash of armed robberies, and they may be linked, according to authorities.

Police suspect the same gunman robbed a North Side convenience store and a restaurant Thursday evening. It was the third night in a row that robberies occurred, and the man may have been involved in the Tuesday and Wednesday night crimes as well.

About 6:30 p.m. Thursday, a man robbed the 7-Eleven at Maxwell and Maple, said Sgt. Bob Henry. About 45 minutes later, a man with a similar description robbed the Sea Galley restaurant at Howard and Boone.

In both robberies, the man displayed a handgun and demanded money, Henry said. Police refused to disclose how much money was stolen.

“We feel confident it was the same individual,” Henry said. “We do believe there was a vehicle waiting.

Police had no description of the car.

The robber was described as a black man in his 20s, about 6 feet tall. In the first robbery, the man wore a white shirt. In the second, he wore a dark top.

Three men with bandanas over their faces robbed Pay Less Drug Store at 7714 N. Division on Wednesday evening.

Two robbers fired shots inside and outside of the Grocery Boys Empire at 3430 N. Crestline on Tuesday before getting away.

Last fall, a man who became known as the “badtooth bandit” committed a rash of robberies before he was caught.