The Charlottesville Police Department issued a press release today regarding three recent, related robberies.
According to the press release, the first incident occurred December 29, 2008 at the Days Inn on Emmet Street. Two men entered a guest room claiming they were there to check the heating system. One of the men pretended to check on the vent while the other robbed the guest of credit cards and cash.
The second incident occurred January 6 of this year at the Econo Lodge on Emmet Street, and involved a similar situation. During this incident, however, before the men left, they struck the victim over the head and stole his wallet.
Yesterday, a man approached a city resident as she was walking to her car, parked in a lot near Downtown, and began to engage her in conversation. While they were talking, the man grabbing the victim’s purse and knocked her to the ground.
In each case, the credit cards were used at area businesses after the robberies and surveillance video was obtained from each location, confirming all three incidents involved the same suspects, according to police.
One of the suspects, identified from surveillance video at Kroger.
The two other suspects in the recent robberies.
Police are asking for assistance in identifying three suspects: "A heavy set white female, a medium build black male wearing black framed glasses and a second black male who in one video is wearing a stocking hat with a Washington redskins logo," reads the release. Watch this surveillance video, recovered from Kroger after the robberies.
If you have information about this case or can identify any of the suspects, please contact Detective Jim Mooney at 970-3374 or Crimestoppers at 977-4000.
