Police continue to investigate string of armed robberies
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Investigators in Kalamazoo County are looking into a series of armed robberies that could be connected.
Police are searching for at least four black men, all in their 20s, possibly driving a blue hatchback.
Kalamazoo Public Safety released surveillance photos on Monday of one of the suspects in the act of robbing a 7-11 on KL and Drake Road.
Now the suspects are linked to an assault that took place in broad daylight at a Portage apartment complex.
Police in Portage say the latest incident took place around 4:00 pm Monday at the Foxwood Apartments and they say the suspect may have targeted the area and possibly his victims.
“It's a little scary actually,” said Melissa Dennis.
Dennis says she loves playing outside with her kids, but admits that it's a little disconcerting that a series of armed robberies have happened so close to her neighborhood, the latest in an apartment complex next door.
“I've already talked to a few of my neighbors,” said Deniis, “and we all said my neighbor called me this morning and asked me what happened and she said we need to make sure we're watching out for each other.”
Police in Portage say a light skinned black male came to the 4700 block of Fox Valley Drive, got in a car parked in a carport, threatened the two men inside with a gun, and duct taped their eyes before stealing their belongings.
The robbery all happened in broad daylight after the man approached and innocently tapped their window, hoping they'd roll it down.
“No reason to believe anything bad was going to happen to him when he talked to this person, and that's it,” said Lt. Steven Clark of the Portage Police Dept. “Just a tip, if you don't know the person coming up to your car you might lock the doors and keep your windows rolled up.”
Portage Police aren't sure how many men were involved, but suspect they could be linked to others in the area.
“There are some similarities in description of suspects,” said Lt. Clark.
Newschannel 3 contacted management of the Foxwood Apartments, but were told nobody was available for comment.
Portage Police say the best description they could get of the suspect was a light skinned black male in his early 20s, around 6' 1” tall.
