San Diego Police are offering a $1,000 reward for information on two suspects wanted in connection to a series of commercial armed robberies across San Diego County.
According to police, the suspects are linked to three robbery cases in the City of San Diego and Spring Valley but they are investigating other cases across the county to see if they are related.
The first case occurred on April 6 around 9:25 p.m. inside the Market at the Ranch gas station and liquor store on the 10000 block of Scripps Trail. A man walked into the store and demanded the clerk open the cash register at gunpoint.
Police said when the clerk had trouble, the suspect fired a round into a cigarette display case on the wall. He then hit the clerk in the eye with the gun.
When the clerk opened the register, the suspect took an unknown amount of cash. He then hit the clerk with the gun again and kicked him after the clerk said he did not have the keys to the safe inside the store.
The suspect took off in a small, silver-colored SUV. He was described to be around 5-feet 7-inches to 6-feet tall, around 165 pounds with a mustache. He was wearing blue jeans, a black-colored hooded sweatshirt and gray gloves.
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Police said the clerk suffered minor injuries.
NBC 7 spoke to Dave Vitale, who works two doors away from Market at the Ranch.
"Someone needs to put a bigger reward out there so it’s more of an incentive," said Vitale.
On Wednesday, around 2:55 a.m., a 7-Eleven on the 9300 block of Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley was robbed at gunpoint.
The suspect demanded money from the clerk and hit him several times with the gun, and at one point, fired a round into the ceiling.
Police said he had been wearing a red and black hooded sweater with a white design on the upper back and black pants. He is believed to be the same suspect involved in the robbery on April 6.
The third case was an attempted robbery Thursday at 9 p.m. inside the Apollo Market located on the 2300 block of Reo Drive in Paradise Hills.
Two suspects, one of whom was armed with a hand gun, police said, demanded cash from the clerk. When the clerk did not comply, the suspects left the store.
One suspect was wearing a dark blue hooded jacket with the hood drawn tight around his face, a red back or bandana covering his face, black pants and black shoes. The man was also connected to the robberies in Spring Valley and Paradise Hills, police said.
The second suspect was 5-feet 6-inches tall with a thin build. He had been wearing a black hooded jacket, ripped blue jeans, and black and white tennis shoes.
Vitale told NBC 7, he hopes the men responsible are arrested soon.
"I hope it happens sooner than later," said Vitale. "Before someone gets hurt or killed or [they do] it again."
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477 or SDPD at (619)531-2299.
A $1,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest.
