RICHMOND, Va. – The second robbery within a week, at the Village Shopping Center at Three Chopt and Patterson. Richmond Police do not believe two robberies are related.
The most recent robbery occurred during the day, on Jan. 21, around 3 p.m., Richmond Police said.
The male was leaving a store in the 7000 block of Three Chopt Road, when the suspect approached the victim and demanded money.
The victim told the robber that he had no cash, but police say the robber then demanded the victim go back inside the store, make a small purchase and get cash back from the transaction.
The suspect followed the victim inside the store to make sure they obliged and took the cash when they left the shop. The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.
The suspect is described as a black male, 50-59 years of age, approximately 5’ 11” tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds. He wore a tan coat at the time of the robbery.
The other robbery to occur happened in the parking lot of the Village Shopping Center, at 9:40 p.m. on Jan. 14. According to police, an adult female was robbed of her purse at gunpoint.
That suspect was described as a white male, 55 to 60-years-old, 5’11, 160 pounds, white or grey hair, grey eyes, brown or grey coat, khaki pants, and brown shoes.
There is no surveillance footage of the first reported robbery.
Police have yet to catch either of the robbers, and that has shoppers and people who work in the area on edge.
Moriah Roads, a Master Stylist at Salon del Sol, which is located in the Village Center, said she believes she saw the first suspect behind the salon on the night of the robbery.
“There’s a guy sitting in the dark on the stairs, and I kind of tripped over him, he was just acting kind of sketch,” said Moriah Rhodes.
Rhodes said that man fit the description of the robber who stole the woman’s purse on Jan. 14.
“It totally freaked me out, made me a little nervous,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes and her co-workers stepped up their security procedures after the robbery, and were shocked to hear about a second robbery on Tuesday.
“It definitely startled me,"said Sarah Higgins, who also works at Salon del Sol. "I’m used to this being a very safe shopping center."
The two incidents have some people in the normally safe neighborhood near the University of Richmond taking matters into their own hands.
“People carry guns, so watch your ass,” Mason Corey, who lives in the area, said.
Detectives ask anyone with any information about the Jan. 21 robber's identity to call Third Precinct Detective Jack Larry at (804) 646-1647 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000.
Citizens can also text Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the key word “ITip” followed by your tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
Past Robberies in that shopping center are as follows:
Moe’s – Sept.,20, 2013
Franklin Federal - May 6, 2014
Parking lot robbery – Jan. 14, 2015
Robbery outside Martin’s – Jan. 21, 2015
