Police focusing on robberies at convenience stores, fast-food restaurants

Police are pooling their information and developing what they describe as good leads as the number of violent robberies of small businesses grows across the Richmond region.

Investigators from Richmond, where many of the robberies have occurred, have met repeatedly in recent days with their counterparts in suburban police departments to compare notes. The information-sharing sessions, as well as tips from residents, have enabled investigators to make progress in solving the cases, said Richmond police Cmdr. Steve Drew, who oversees operations in South Richmond, where the two most violent robberies have taken place.

"We're getting some good information, and we want it to keep coming," Drew said. "We're going to make arrests and get things back to where they should be. People deserve to be safe in their communities."

Drew spoke as investigators worked on the latest two cases in South Richmond, both at fast-food restaurants: Two armed males robbed a McDonald's in the 6800 block of Forest Hill Avenue at 4:14 p.m. Wednesday, and an armed male robbed two women as they walked to their cars after closing a Wendy's yesterday at 2:14 a.m. in the 4500 block of Jefferson Davis Highway. One shot was fired into the air in the latter robbery; no one was injured.

The Richmond fast-food robberies came on the heels of three convenience-store robberies, all near interstate highway exits in Chesterfield or Prince George counties in a roughly four-hour period starting late Tuesday night.

The gunman in all three robberies matched the same description: He wore a black mask over his face, a hooded gray sweatshirt and black pants. No one was injured in the three robberies.

That was not the case in Richmond last week, when one person was killed and another injured in a six-day span that saw four robberies of small businesses in which guns either were used or displayed.

While there are differences between the area robberies -- some were committed by a lone gunman, and others were the work of two -- there are similarities. Three, for example, occurred in fast-food restaurants, including two at McDonald's franchises. And in at least two of the robberies, a lone gunman fired what could be described as warning shots.

Citing the ongoing investigation, Drew declined to release specifics but said police have developed possible links between some of the crimes, especially in South Richmond.

Yesterday, Drew and Richmond Lt. John Darnes, whose sector includes a large portion of Jefferson Davis Highway, spent some time visiting with businesses and residents along the corridor. Drew and Darnes offered encouragement and tips in a community on edge about the crimes, and they stressed that police are taking a number of steps, covert and overt, to solve the cases.

Two of their stops were the Come and Go Food Market in the 2400 block of Jeff Davis, where co-owner Ashraf M. Alatiyat was fatally shot June 9, and the Golden Food Market in the 2700 block of Jeff Davis, where a clerk was shot six times and seriously wounded in a robbery three nights later.

Drew and Darnes were greeted cordially during their visits. One shopper walking into a convenience store stopped to ask whether they had made any arrests in the cases. Drew assured the man they would.

"A few years ago," Darnes said, "a lot of people wouldn't even talk to us."

The Golden Food Market and Come and Go have reopened, but only on a limited basis. Shopkeepers at both businesses said that until they can increase security, they won't be staying open as late as before the robberies.

At Come and Go, A.B. Wright took Darnes' advice and removed a number of large advertising posters from the front windows so it would be easier to see into the store from the street.

Wright said the store also plans other changes, including the addition of more security cameras, better lighting, more employees and a guard dog during business hours.

"It's going to be amped up a lot," he said.

Wright said there was never any consideration given to not reopening after Alatiyat's slaying.

"You've got to go on," he said.

Drew concurred.

"We've just come too far. This area has come a long way," he said. "I feel and sense the frustration that some of the residents and businesses have."

Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6804 or .