Police link at least 20 robberies to same suspects

If you're an owner, employee or even a patron of a small business in Las Vegas, police have a warning: Be diligent with your safety, especially after the sun goes down.

Since January, there have been at least 20 business robberies scattered throughout the Metropolitan Police Department's jurisdiction that have been linked to the same suspects.

Police Capt. Patrick Neville said Friday that the suspects, described vaguely as "a minimum of two black men, wearing bandanas or T-shirts to cover their faces," enter their target store after dark, usually before the business is set to close, sometimes before it opens.

Armed with semi-automatic handguns, they immediately lock the doors, take control of the scene and demand cash and valuables -- and not just from the register, but also from the patrons.

The men then force the victims into a contained area, usually a storage room or a walk-in freezer, and flee, Neville said.

The robbers are very efficient, he said. No solid descriptions of them or a vehicle have been gleaned, despite dozens of witness interviews.

And because the robbers target small businesses that often don't have sophisticated surveillance systems, such as fast-food restaurants, sandwich shops, outlet stores, surveillance footage has been fairly useless to police, Neville said.

Police declined to provide the names and locations of the businesses hit by the robbers.

To date, no one has been injured. But Neville worries that could change.

"Our big concern is that no citizen, business owner or employee freaks out and ends up getting shot," he said. "The safety aspect is what we're really trying to push."

Police recommend two things citizens can do to aid the investigation: Stay calm, and be a good witness.

If a person panics, he jeopardize his life and the lives of others in the store, Neville said.

And, although he said that it isn't easy to make mental notes during a stressful situation, the more information police have about the suspects, such as height, weight, identifying features and ways of speech, the more likely an arrest will be made and the charges will stick.

In addition, anyone who provides information leading to an arrest might be eligible for a $10,000 reward, but the call must be made through CrimeStoppers, at 385-5555.

Neville said there have been 999 robberies this year in the Police Department's jurisdiction, which includes the city of Las Vegas and unincorporated areas of Clark County. That's a decrease from 1,325 at this point in 2009.

But police are concerned about the style of these robberies, Neville said.

"The bottom line is, these guys need to go to prison," he said.

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.