After Brother’s Market experienced its first armed robbery in 22
years Thursday, two more local markets were robbed at gunpoint over
the weekend. With three robberies in three days, some local store
owners wonder if the same person is responsible for all of
them.
Hollister – After Brother’s Market experienced its first armed robbery in 22 years Thursday, two more local markets were robbed at gunpoint over the weekend. With three robberies in three days, some local store owners wonder if the same person is responsible for all of them.
Lynn’s Liquors, which also had its first armed robbery in its 18 years of existence, and Hollister Drive-In Market were robbed within about a half an hour of each other Sunday evening, according to the Hollister Police Department.
While all three stores were robbed by a similar-sized man wearing a ski-mask and wielding a small-caliber handgun, the police department hasn’t confirmed any relation, according to Capt. Richard Vasquez.
“At this point it’s still being investigated whether there’s a connection,” Vasquez said. “We’ve had a few robberies in the past few days, but people don’t need to panic. They just need to be aware.”
A man wearing a ski-mask, dark clothing and armed with a small-caliber handgun robbed Hollister Drive-In Market Sunday around 6:15pm, Vasquez said. It is the second time the market in the 800 block of Fourth Street was relieved of its cash from a masked assailant in the past couple months.
The owner, Jose “Chon” Reynoso, his wife and another employee were in the store when the man, who is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall wearing a dark-colored top, tan pants and a ski-mask, walked into the store and demanded money, Vasquez said. After taking the undisclosed amount of money, the man left on foot, he said.
Reynoso said he threw the money on the ground when the man asked for it, but instead of picking it up himself the man ordered Reynoso’s wife to pick it up and put it in a paper bag.
During a robbery in November, Reynoso also threw cash on the ground to discombobulate the assailant, but after the move failed to confuse the robber this time Reynoso said he won’t do that anymore.
“It’s dangerous, especially with him pointing (the gun) from one to the other,” Reynoso said. “He’s the boss with the gun.”
About 25 minutes later, a Hispanic male wearing a ski-mask walked into Lynn’s Liquors on Hawkins Street and pointed a small-caliber handgun at the lone clerk, Vasquez said. This man had a similar description, with dark colored eyes, a medium complexion, thin build and stood about 5 feet 11 inches tall, he said. Vasquez said the man was wearing a gray sweatshirt.
After taking an undisclosed amount of money, he left on foot, Vasquez said.
The store’s surveillance system captured the incident on tape, and owner Lynn Lake said she believes the robberies could be connected and will be reevaluating her store’s approach to security in the future.
“I don’t feel as safe as I felt before (Sunday),” Lake said. “Being in the liquor business you always think about it, you just hope it doesn’t happen.”
The man who robbed Brother’s Market, also using a small-caliber handgun, on Thursday around 7:45pm was described as a Hispanic male standing about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium complexion and wearing dark clothes and a ski-mask, according to police.
Jessie Brar, owner of Jessie’s Pizza and Arcade located across the street from Brother’s Market in the 700 block of San Benito Street, said he keeps more than two people working in the store at one time to try to dissuade anyone from targeting the store.
“I think what the robbers look for are one or two people in the store,” Brar said. “It scares me a little bit, but not too much. The police will catch him.”
Brar also keeps a very small amount of cash in the register to discourage robberies, and tells all his employees to hand over whatever anyone asks for in the event of one. However, in his eight years of business he’s never had any problems, he said.
“If they ever come to rob us they’d end up with quarters,” Brar said. “If we open the til for them, they won’t get that much.”
While detectives are investigating all three robberies and patrol officers are keeping an eye on local businesses, Vasquez said merchants should be on the lookout for anything or anyone that looks out of place around their stores.
“If they see anybody they believe to be suspicious, notify the police department as soon as possible so we can go check it out,” he said.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
