The most recent robbery happened near Maroa and Fern. A man who works in the Tower District stepped out for a smoke break and two guys held him up.
He was scared, but he went right back to work and that's kind of the attitude here in the Tower. They're not letting it cramp their style.
Fresno's Tower District is known for its quirkiness in the daytime and its nightlife after dark.
"The Tower's very unique," said Fresno Police Lt. Jon Papaleo. "I mean, it's a great place to come. Anybody can walk into the Tower from any walk of life and have a great time here."
Over the last few months, it's also known for a robbery trend at the central policing district where Lt. Papaleo works.
Seven people have reported holdups in the Tower District and police are on the trail of two suspects. Investigators know they're both men and one has dreadlocks. They're between the ages of 19 and 27 and they're carrying a chrome handgun or a black revolver. Police also believe they see an easy opportunity to commit crimes in the Tower District.
"We see the majority of them happening in areas where a lot of people congregate at night," said Lt. Papaleo.
The armed robbers are targeting people walking alone -- in alleyways, in big parking lots, or along less populated streets -- especially between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Police on patrol have kept an eye out for the suspects and word spread quickly through the Tower District.
"Within 2 hours, I mean it was mass text messaging to everybody," said Tower resident Joey Fernandez.
Initially, neighbors say there was a wave of fear. But then, they decided to take control of the situation. They started up a Facebook page to raise awareness and they vowed to keep going out, keeping their eyes open the whole time.
"This is our neighborhood," said Fernandez. "This is our community. These are our people. We are a family and we are not going to let anybody outside come in and bully us, terrorize us, or scare us. We're not afraid."
One way they're taking control is by organizing an unofficial neighborhood watch at night. Tower residents will be lurking in the dark, watching for the suspects in some of the most common spots for the robberies.
