Police arrested a Lawrence man Thursday afternoon in connection with two recent robberies.
Hours after he allegedly robbed a Dillons video department, a 41-year-old man was arrested Thursday afternoon after a similar robbery at a downtown business, police said.
Police say they have evidence linking the Wednesday night and Thursday morning robberies, and the suspect remained in the Douglas County Jail in connection with two robberies and possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was being held without bond, and is scheduled to appear in court at 3 p.m. today.
About 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, police say, a man walked into the video department at Dillons, 1720 Mass. St., grabbed a 21-year-old female clerk and demanded money. The robber ran south from the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Just before noon Thursday, a man walked into African Adorned, a small store at 5 E. Seventh St., grabbed the male clerk and demanded money. A customer ran from the store and called police from a nearby business, Sgt. George Wheeler said.
"The clerk complied with the robber's demand, gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and he left," Wheeler said. "No one was injured, but there was a scuffle between the clerk and the suspect."
The clerk and other witnesses gave police good descriptions, Wheeler said, including details about a car matching the description of the gold Toyota Corolla the suspect was in soon after the robbery.
Police spotted the car and stopped it at 415 Graystone Drive, near Graystone Apartments, just north of West Sixth Street. Wheeler said the male driver of the car and a boy who was in the car weren't arrested.
After questioning the man at the police department, investigators arrested him in connection with the two robberies.
Wheeler wouldn't say what specifically linked the suspect to the two robberies. No weapons were used in either robbery.
"We developed information that linked him to both of them," Wheeler said.
A suspect in another Wednesday night robbery at Days Inn, 2309 Iowa, remained at large Thursday night. He walked into the motel at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, carrying a handgun and demanding cash. He left in an unknown direction. Police aren't saying how much cash was stolen.
The suspect in the Days Inn robbery was described as a male about 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, wearing a navy blue wind breaker and a navy "sailor-type" cap. Simmons is taller and heavier, Wheeler said.
Anyone with information about the Days Inn robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Douglas County at 843-TIPS (8477).
-- Chris Koger's phone message number is 832-7126. His e-mail address is ckoger@ljworld.com.
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