Around 5:45 this morning, the BP convenient store on Roberson Mill Road was robbed for the second time in four days. It was the same crime, and the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office believes the same suspects who could be responsible for at least 12 similar incidents in Baldwin, Houston, Twiggs, and Wilkinson Counties.
The suspects came in for just two things, cigarettes and lottery tickets.
"Just the county cases alone which is four, four cases, we're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000-50,000 worth of cigarettes," says Captain Brad King, Baldwin County Sheriff's Office.
The Jet store on Dunlap and Jefferson was hit first in late July, and again about a week ago. The BP was hit this morning, for the second time, making it the fourth incident in Baldwin County.
"I've seen stores hit repeatedly, I've never seen stores hit that fast," says King.
A crime spree prompting the sheriff's office to investigate further.
"We started contacting our surrounding counties and Wilkinson County, we believe s a simliar crime was done by the same people," says King.
Captain King says the suspects were in the store for less than two minutes. They used a sledge hammer to smash the glass on the door to ensure that they could get in and out of the store quickly.
"The hammer that we recovered had a bright yellow handle and you could see that yellow handle in the Wilkinson County video," says King.
The three suspects are unidentifiable from the surveillance video, but Debra May who works at the Jet store fears she may see them everyday.
"You don't know if they coming in the store while you don't know if they same people that come in here shopping while you working, you don't know you just have to have your guard up," says May.
Captain King says after meeting with several counties this afternoon, there are possibly 21 cases from these counties involving the same suspects. He says there is an active warrant out for an arrest for one suspect from Wilkinson County.
If anyone has any other information, contact your local sheriff's office or the Baldwin County Sherriff's Office (478) 445-4893.
