Lawrence police warn residents to be cautious after two recent robberies

Lawrence police are warning residents to be aware of their surroundings in the wake of two convenience store robberies in the city during the past two weeks.

No arrests have been made in either of the robberies, which occurred New Year’s Eve and the evening of Dec. 21, police said. A spokeswoman said it’s too soon to determine whether the incidents are related.

A clerk was robbed around 9 p.m. Wednesday at the BP station, 3020 Iowa, police said. A man displayed a handgun, demanded cash and left the store with an undetermined amount of money.

About 9 p.m. Dec. 21, a 26-year-old clerk at Presto Convenience Store, 602 W. Ninth St., was ordered to the floor at knifepoint and robbed, police said. The suspect, who brandished a large knife, left the business with $808.24 in cash, a gray cell phone and a cordless phone, a police report said.

In the most recent robbery, witnesses described the suspect as a black male with an athletic build and was between 6-foot and 6-foot-2, police said. He wore a blue hooded sweatshirt under a red jacket with black stripes on the sleeves, blue jeans, white tennis shoes and a black stocking cap.

In the Dec. 21 robbery, the suspect is described as a black male, about 6-foot-2, with a skinny build. He was wearing a black stocking cap, dark scarf around his face and a dark overcoat.

No one was injured in either robbery.

Anyone with information about the crimes can call police at 832-7509, or Crime Stoppers, 843-TIPS. Police said any suspicious activity also should be reported.