Make wishtv.com your home page

Crime Stoppers: Fort Wayne discount store robberies all related

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The people responsible for Monday’s armed robbery at a Family Dollar store in Fort Wayne are the same people responsible for other similar armed robberies so far in 2015, according to Crime Stoppers.

Crime Stoppers executive director Greg Lewis linked eight armed robberies that have taken place at seven Family Dollar and Dollar General stores in Fort Wayne.

Lewis said that his office has gotten zero tips on any of these robberies, but hoped that would change soon.

Each time, two men were involved in the robbery.

The first was Jan. 11, when the Dollar General store in the 3100 block of East State Boulevard was robbed. The men were able to steal cash and Newport cigarettes. The men were seen leaving in a light-gray Chevrolet Impala.

The next robbery took place Feb. 6, at the Dollar General at 1133 North Coliseum Boulevard. This time the men were able to get away with $2,000 in cash, and were seen again leaving in a gray car.

One more robbery followed in March. It happened at the Family Dollar at 6443 Bluffton Road on March 28. The men made a customer sit on the floor. Something happened that interrupted the robbery, but the men were still able to get away with $900.

The men have gotten more ambitious since the end of March, with three robberies in April and two already in May.

On April 1, Lewis said they robbed the Dollar General at 1425 Goshen Road. The safe at this store was on a ten-minute timer, so the two men made customers sit on the floor while they had to wait. In the end, the men were only able to get away with Kool cigarettes, which police officers were able to recover.

Four days later, it was the Dollar General at 3906 West Jefferson Boulevard that was the men’s target. Again, the store had a timer on the safe and the men made customers sit on the floor. This time the men were able to get away with $2,000 in cash.

On April 25, the Dollar General at 1915 East Tillman Road was targeted. The men were able to get an undisclosed amount of cash from a safe and from cash registers.

The Family Dollar at 6443 Bluffton Road was robbed a second time on May 11. Lewis said the two men were able to get away with $600 to $700 in cash and Newport cigarettes.

The most recent robbery was Monday morning. Police said the men took $2,345 in cash and Newport cigarettes.

Lewis said the men always cover their faces with a black or camouflaged ski mask and have taken the store at gunpoint.

In all, the men have gotten away with more than $8,000 in cash.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stopper at 436-7867.