Aurora police believe robberies are related
Aurora police are investigating three recent armed robberies that are believed to be related.
In all three robberies, the suspects are described as male blacks in their late teens or early 20s, between 5'6" and 5'8" and weighing between 150 and 160 pounds. The robbers mightbe making their getaways in a small, white SUV, possibly driven by a fourth man.
The first robbery was Tuesday, and the other two occurred Thursday night within about 30 minutes of each other.
Around 8:45 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to the Auto Zone on the 1000 block of East Galena Boulevard. Three male employees said three men, two of whom were armed, entered the store and announced the robbery. They proceeded to bind the wrists of two workers while demanding the store's proceeds from the third employee. The three robbers grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash and ran from the store.
At 9:10 p.m., police responded to the Marathon gas station on the 1700 block of North Farnsworth Avenue and found that business had been robbed by three men who fit the descriptions of the Auto Zone robbers.
A male employee of the gas station told police that one of the thieves produced a handgun, ordered him to open the cash register and, after grabbing an undisclosed amount of cash and several boxes of cigars, proceeded to bind the employee's wrists and run from the business toward Molitor Road.
In the Tuesday robbery, which occurred about 8:10 p.m. at a Payday Loan Store on the 900 block of East New York Street, three men made off with an undisclosed amount of cash after binding the wrists of two employees. One of the robbers was armed with a handgun in that incident.
Anyone with information on the robberies should call police at (630) 256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Caller to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and might qualify for a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to arrests. Tips also can be submitted through the Aurora Police Department's free mobile app.