Police say the robberies took place in the west and north areas of Houston. They say the suspect mostly targets service stations such as Valero, Conoco, Super K, Shell and Texaco. They also say he's starting to hit other retailers, like Walgreens and Payless, waving his gun around.
"He's very, very dangerous!" witness Bryan Luu said.
And Luu ought to know just how aggressive the unidentified armed robber can be. He runs Sunny'S Food Store on Wilcrest, which is among a long list of businesses police say the accused thief's been targeting in a recent crime spree across Houston.
"In a few of the robberies, he has jumped over the counter to get to the clerk that wasn't responding fast enough," said HPD robbery investigator Russell Gray.
Gray calls the thief unpredictable. He says there's greater concern now, knowing the man's targeting some other high-traffic retail stores.
"The stores, we're talking about more people, which puts the public in danger," said HPD robbery investigator Russell Gray. "We'd really like to get this guy before something happens, before it turns violent or deadly."
He typically wears sunglasses and a baseball cap or hoodie and enters the store pretending to be a customer.
Once at the counter, they say he pulls a black semi-automatic weapon, robbing the employees of money from the cash register and cigarettes.
He is believed responsible for committing robberies at the following locations:
- 9342 Westview – Conoco - on Aug. 10, 23 and Sept. 2
- 9343 Clay Rd. - Texaco - on Aug. 20
- 9235 Clay Rd. - Super K - on Sept. 1
- 12297 Beechnut - Texaco - on Sept. 5
- 6450 W. 43rd - Valero - on Sept. 22
- 15121 Memorial - Smart Food Stop - on Sept. 27
- 934 N. Wilcrest - Sunny Food Store - on Oct. 5
- 11110 Westheimer – Shell - on Oct. 5
- 11038 Westheimer – Walgreens - on Oct. 11
- 13155 Katy - Valero - on Oct. 29, Nov. 3, Dec. 6
- 5415 Kirby - Valero - on Nov. 2
- 2600 Kirkwood – Payless - on Nov. 6
The suspect is described only as a black male, about 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. He had a full beard and mustache. In most incidents, he left the scene and was seen getting into a black two-door Fiat.
Anyone with information on the identity of the suspect and/or his whereabouts is urged to contact the HPD Robbery Division at 713-308-0700 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
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