Police investigating armed robberies in Lake Villa, Lindenhurst

Police from Lindenhurst and the Lake County sheriff's office are investigating two armed robberies early Sunday morning, officials said.

Lindenhurst Police Cmdr. John Mars said a man wearing a mask entered the 7-11 convenience store on East Sand Lake Road about 12:38 a.m. and stole money from an employee.

The suspect was described as about 6 feet tall, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and white shoes. He was wearing a mask and had a hood over his head to conceal his identity, Mars said.

Police are working to determine if the 7-11 robber was the same person who robbed a Lake Villa-area gas station about 30 minutes earlier.

In that robbery, a masked man walked into the station on Route 45 about 12:11 a.m., pointed a black handgun at the clerk and demanded money from the cash register. He received an undisclosed amount of money and fled.

A canine team from the Lake Villa Police Department tracked the man to a nearby parking lot, where the scent ended, authorities said.

The robber was described as a dark-skinned man with a thin build and standing approximately 5-feet, 4-inches tall. He was wearing a black North Face jacket, black hat, black ski mask, blue jeans, and black gloves.

Anyone with information on either robbery should call the sheriff's office at (847) 549-5200, Lindenhurst Police at (847) 356-5400 or Lake County Crime Stoppers at (847) 662-2222.