Police Want Help on Recent Robberies

CHARLESTON - Police are investigating a string of similar robberies in the West Ashley area and asking residents for help in catching the people responsible.

So far none of the robberies have been definitively connected, but all share similarities, according to a police statement.

The first of the robberies occurred at 11:15 a.m. Jan. 12. A 60-year-old woman was accosted by a man described as a 20-30-year-old black male with a slim build and wearing BDU style pants and a dark grey sweatshirt. He approached the woman from behind as she was entering a business on Farmfield Avenue and snatched her purse, then fled on foot.

The second robbery happened about 2:15 p.m. Feb. 6 when a man with a similar physical description grabbed an 85-year-old woman as she was walking to the front door of her Wappoo Road home, knocked her down and took her purse. He also fled on foot, down nearby Skinner Avenue. The victim in that robbery added that her assailant stood about 6 feet tall and weighed 135-170 pounds. He was wearing a dark colored jacket and pants at the time.

A third robbery occurred about 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, according to the statement. The victim of that robbery was a 16-year-old boy who was visiting a friend at an apartment complex on Ashley Crossing Lane. As the boy got out of his car a man described as black, approximately 6 feet tall, 18-20 years old, with gold upper teeth, a flat-top haircut and wearing a dark colored jacket, approached him and took money and his cell phone. The man then fled in a four-door silver or gold colored Chevy Impala with tinted windows.

A gold, four-door Chevy Impala was also the getaway vehicle in the fourth robbery that happened around 3:30 p.m. Feb. 20, according to the statement. During that robbery an 89-year-old man had just parked his car in his Thunder Trail home garage when a man described as a 20-25-year-old black male of medium complexion, weighing 175-185 pounds and wearing a dark colored shirt and baseball cap got out of the Impala with a gun and took money from the victim.

"Proactive initiatives such as increased patrols and saturation details have been implemented along with other investigative efforts in response to these incidents," part of the statement about the cases reads.

Police ask anyone with information about the crimes to call them at 577-7434 or Crime Stoppers at 554-1111.

"While these incidents have not been connected at this time," the statement reads, "due to their similarities police are alerting citizens so they can be vigilant and observant during their daily activities. Should citizens observe suspicious individuals or vehicles, they should immediately report these observations to the police. If citizens believe they are being followed, they should go to a public place and notify the police immediately."