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Police fear more 7-Eleven robberies
Juan Ortega and Robert Nolin
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
8:12 PM EDT, April 10, 2009
The
ubiquitous 7-Eleven, that familiar fixture of roadside America, is a
common destination for anyone craving a late-night snack or soda.
But in South Florida, the convenience stores have become an
all-too-common target for what police fear could be a solitary armed
robber. At least 13 7-Elevens in Broward and Palm Beach counties --
nine in the past week alone -- have been robbed since November by a
slender masked bandit, often acting in the early morning hours and
taking less than two minutes per robbery.
No one has been injured so far. But with the tally quickly mounting,
authorities fear what might happen.
"There is that potential for serious injury," Broward Sheriff's Office
spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright said. "It's quite disturbing when you
see a masked gunman ordering innocent victims around."
Teri Barbera, spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office,
noted the "striking similarities" between the Broward and Palm Beach
county robberies. "We do believe we are dealing with the same
individual," she said.
On store surveillance video, the handgun-wielding robber can be seen
jumping counters to rifle cash drawers, or ordering customers to the
floor and emptying their pockets.
Last Saturday, two 7-Elevens in Fort Lauderdale and Deerfield Beach
were hit. Wednesday, there were three 7-Eleven robberies: two near
Boynton Beach and one near Davie.
After two robberies Thursday in Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines, the
thief intensified his efforts, hitting three 7-Elevens in the pre-dawn
hours of Friday, two in Pompano Beach and one in Miramar.
One unlucky store, on State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale, was robbed
twice, most recently on Thursday. Fort Lauderdale police are convinced
the gunman also robbed a Walgreens on Jan. 15.
The bandit enters the stores pistol in hand, police said. In most cases
he is described as a slim man about 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 7. He typically
wears black clothing, long sleeves, gloves, dark socks and a dark green
ski mask with the eyes and mouths cut out, authorities say.
His pants often droop, exposing boxers beneath.
Investigators are at a loss to explain why he favors 7-Elevens.
While the bandit implied he had a gun in previous robberies in November
and earlier this year, he now points his weapon directly at clerks and
customers, Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman Kathy Collins said.
In the Wednesday robbery near Boynton Beach he put his gun to a victim's temple to steal his cell phone.
No one has been hurt yet, because the victims "have done what they should have done: comply," Collins said.
But violence could erupt at any time. "He's bringing a gun for a reason," she said.
Patrick Tarantino, 36, among three people robbed at a Fort Lauderdale 7-Eleven on March 29, also fears escalating violence.
"I know no one's been hurt so far, but it's only a matter of time," he said.
Chris McGoey, a law enforcement consultant who helped design 7-Eleven's
security program in the 1970s, said the convenience stores are no more
vulnerable than similar quick-stop businesses.
"There are lots of places that are cash-based and operate with minimal
staff and are open late at night," he said from his Los Angeles office.
McGoey said 7-Eleven invented the practice of dropping cash into a safe that only opens after a time delay.
Other measures, he said, also help make the stores generally safer than
similar businesses: their windows are kept clear, there are signs
advising of limited cash on hand, employees are trained to be alert,
and they do not accept large bills or carry weapons.
Most importantly, McGoey said, clerks are told to comply with robbers.
7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris emphasized that point. "We always
tell employees: Don't be a hero. Cooperate," she said from her Dallas
office. "We could replace product and cash, but we can't replace their
health."
Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Crime
Stoppers at 954-493-8477 in Broward County, and 800-458-8477 in Palm
Beach County.