Belleville Police battle robbery spree

Belleville police on Friday were investigating a pair of armed robberies that may have been committed by the same duo.

Police said at 6:33 p.m. Thursday they received a report of a hold up of the Cricket Wireless store at 1 Friendly Drive.

Less than 20 minutes later, at 6:54 p.m., police received a second report of an armed robbery at Domino’s Pizza at 1900 North Belt East.

At Cricket Wireless, two suspects entered the business, and one subject displayed a handgun, according to police. One suspect was described as a black male with a stocky build who is more than 6 feet tall, wearing a black jacket and a dark covering over his face.

The second suspect was described by police as a black male, with a stocky build wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt. The suspects demanded money from the two employees at the business. The employees complied, and the suspects fled the business.

The suspects at Domino’s had a similar description.

Police said, while they think the two armed robberies are connected, they don’t think the same suspects are responsible for a Wednesday robbery at the Family Dollar, 610 N. 89th St.

The suspect was described by police as a black male, between 5’1” and 5’6”, thin build, in his early 20s. The suspect entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to police. A weapon was inferred but not displayed. The clerk complied, and the suspect fled. A Belleville Police K-9 attempted to track the suspect but was unsuccessful.

Belleville Police have extra patrol officers on duty during the holiday season, and encourage businesses and residents to call police to report suspicious activity.

Anyone with information specific to these robbery cases is asked to call the Belleville Police 618-234-1212 or CrimeStoppers 866-371-8477.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Belleville Police battle robbery spree."