Roanoke Rapids police are investigating a second armed robbery and the fifth overall in Halifax County Since January 13.
The latest heist occurred Saturday night shortly before 9:30 p.m. at Family Dollar on Highway 158.
Chief Bobby Martin said he believes this robbery could be related to the others which have occurred in the area.
In the Family Dollar robbery a person dressed in all black with a thin build entered the store and demanded money.
The clerk complied and the suspect fled the business. There were no injuries.
This is the second armed robbery being investigated by Roanoke Rapids police after one on January 22 at The Store Next Door on West Fifth Street around 9 p.m.
In that robbery a suspect came into the store and demanded money, threatening the clerk they would be shot in the face if they didn’t hurry.
The clerk complied and the suspect left the store. The suspect, who was dressed in dark clothing and brandished a dark object believed to be a weapon, was last seen heading west.
The Family Dollar heist is the fifth armed robbery to occur in the Roanoke Valley since January 13.
The Halifax County Sheriff’s reported that robberies occurred January 13, 14 and 18.
The sheriff’s office has said that based on the way the suspects were dressed as seen in limited video footage, the type of businesses robbed and the times in which they were robbed, investigators are treating the crimes as related.
The January 13 robbery occurred around 9:30 p.m. at the Dollar General located on Silvertown Road in Enfield.
During the robbery a person described as a slim Black male dressed in all black with his face hidden by a coat hood entered the store and used a dark handgun to rob the employee working.
The second armed robbery occurred January 14 around 9:30 p.m. at the Subway located on West Tenth Street in Roanoke Rapids.
A person described as a slim black male who stood around 6-feet tall entered the business dressed in all black with his face hidden by a coat. He used a dark-colored handgun to rob the employees working.
The third armed robbery occurred January 18 around 8:45 p.m. at the Family Dollar on Highway 48 in Roanoke Rapids.
Anyone with information in these robberies is encouraged to contact the police department at 252-533-2810, the sheriff’s office at 252-583-8201 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.