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Police probing unprecedented rash of armed robberies

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Clockwise from left, suspects in Family Dollar and Washington Street Shell robberies and the Riviera Motel, site of another armed robbery Tuesday. (Surveillance, courtesy images)

Rochester Police today are investigating four robberies that occurred in just two days, including one Wednesday night that targeted another Shell gas station.

Last night's robbery occurred around 8:45 when Police responded to a 911 call from the Shell station at 287 North Main St.

The suspect, described as a male of medium build and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gloves and possibly a mask, entered the store as the clerk was closing and brandished a knife. The suspect demanded cash from the clerk, who complied with his demands.

The suspect then fled, leaving toward the rear and heading down Claire St. with an undisclosed amount of cash.

A K-9 track was completed, which ended on Beauview Street. Members of the New Hampshire State Police assisted city police in setting up a perimeter.

Last night's heist brings to four the number of robberies since the Washington Street Shell was robbed early Tuesday.

"This amount so close together is pretty unusual," Rochester Police Capt. Jason Thomas said on Wednesday afternoon prior to the nighttime robbery. "I can't recall having three in two days ever."

The spree began around midnight Tuesday when a crowbar-wielding man walked into the Shell Station at 130 Washington St., demanded cash and fled.

The suspect in that robbery is described as a white male possibly in his late teens or 20s about 5'05"-5'09" tall with average build and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, pants and dark mask.

Then around 7:30 p.m. a masked man walked into the Milton Road Family Dollar, showed a knife to the clerk and demanded money from the cash clerk.

He then fled on foot east of the store with an undisclosed amount of money.

That suspect is described as being in his late 30s to late 40s, approximately 5'8"-5'11" tall and weighing about 200 pounds.

He was last seen wearing a yellow T-shirt with the word California on it and a palm tree, white gloves, blue jeans and a dark colored mask.

Then a little before 9 p.m. a victim called police from the Riviera Motel on Route 125 to say they had been forced to withdraw money from an ATM.

The victim said the suspect held a mallet to their head and forced them to drive to a nearby Irving Gas station ATM and take out $100 in cash to give to the suspect.

Thomas said they were actively investigating all of the robberies, but added that in the Riviera Motel incident the victim has since become uncooperative in the probe.

Anyone with any information regarding any of these robberies is urged to contact Detective Justin Livingstone or to contact the Rochester Crimeline at 335-6500 to leave an anonymous tip or send a text message with the header "TEXT4CASH" to 274637.

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