TORRANCE, CA – APRIL 27: Sofia Angeles collects shopping carts to be returned into the store at the Vons located at 24325 Crenshaw Blvd in Torrance. Doors to the store opened at 6 a.m. for seniors and at-risk shoppers due to the Coronavirus and at 7 a.m. for regular customers. Most of the team arrives at 5 a.m. to stock the shelves with product, sanitize the location for staff and shoppers, and picker/shoppers begin to collect items for .com home delivery shoppers. Vendors arriving throughout the morning must read a checklist of warnings, sign in and they must wear face covering. Vons on Monday, April 27, 2020 in Torrance, CA. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Authorities Saturday morning investigated the robberies of two grocery stores and the attempted robbery of a third in San Diego that may have been committed by the same suspect.
The first robbery occurred at 9:10 p.m. Friday at the Gelson's located at 2707 Via De La Valle, the second about six minutes later at a Vons, 2606 Del Mar Heights Road, and the attempted robbery took place just after 11 p.m. at the Albertson's at 12475 Rancho Bernardo Road, according to Officer Robert Heims of the San Diego Police Department.
In the first two incidents, a man approached an employee at a cash register, lifted his shirt to show a gun in his waistband and demanded money.
In both cases, the cashier gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of the money and the armed man left the store, Heims said.
The suspect demanded money at the Albertson's, but left the store without any, Heims said.
In each incident, the suspect was described as a white man in his 50s, with graying hair, 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 175 pounds. He was wearing a blue or gray hoodie with a white t-shirt, dark or gray pants and gray or black baseball cap.
San Diego Police Robbery Detectives are investigating.
