Lawrence Police believe one man was behind two convenience store holdups on Monday night. The first was an attempted robbery, police said, while the suspect actually took cash in the second incident.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m., a man entered the Shell gas station at 1733 Mass., bought some items and then displayed a knife and demanded money, Sgt. Damon Thomas said. A customer then entered the store, interrupting the incident, and the suspect fled.

Shortly after 9 p.m., a man entered the Phillips 66 station at 2434 Iowa, brandished a knife and demanded money, Capt. Ray Urbanek said. The man seized an unknown amount of money and fled.

Urbanek said it’s likely that the same man was involved in both incidents. He said the man was described as a black man of medium build and height with curly hair wearing a dark hooded jacket and having a beard or possibly a goatee.