Fresno police searching for armed robber caught on camera

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Police hope the public will be able to help them identify a man wanted for several armed robberies. Investigators said he has hit three stores in a week, two ampm's on Blackstone Avenue and a Family Dollar store.

When the man walked into a Fresno ampm on Tuesday night, no one questioned him. He didn't seem suspicious until he lifted his shirt. Karan Bal wasn't there at the time but he has watched the surveillance video.

"He just said, 'I got a gun, I'm going to shoot you if you don't give me the money,'" Bal explained.

He said the clerk handed over $450 and the thief walked away. A couple days later, the same guy was caught on camera robbing a different ampm on Blackstone just down the street.

"We work hard here and we don't want to give money to people like this who do nothing and just come at night and take the money out," Bal said.

It didn't stop there. Lt. Joe Gomez with the Fresno Police Department said there was a third hit at the Family Dollar Store on Peach and Belmont on Sunday night. The suspect description also matched - it was a man with a gray goatee, about 5 foot 7, 150 to 160 pounds. His age could be anywhere from 45 to 55.

"He's going to hit again, maybe now he'll stop a little bit," he said.

Lately, this type of crime has been on the rise in Fresno. It's risen about 18 percent compared to this time last year. In August, there was a separate string of robberies by a man in a Jack Daniel's shirt.

Gomez said he was caught last week and he's hoping this video will lead to another arrest before someone gets hurt.

"There's always the possibility that he uses that gun and he hurts somebody," he said. "So we really want to catch him, get him off the street."

He said the suspect's MO is the same every time and anyone who recognizes him should call police at 559-621-2427.