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BPD: Rash Of Armed Robberies May Have Link

Police and Fire
WGLT file photo
There's been a rash of armed robberies in Bloomington over the last month.

Bloomington Police said Friday there could be a link between Thursday night's armed robbery at a Walgreens and several recent heists in the Twin Cities.

Walgreens
Credit Bloomington Police Department
Bloomington Police released an image from a security camera following an armed robbery at Walgreens, 909 S. Main St., on Thursday.

BPD spokesman John Fermon said there have been eight armed robberies in the city since Dec. 8.

“The suspect description has been very similar, between about (5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8 inches tall), black male wearing a black jacket with a hood and black pants and wearing a partial mask or half of a mask,” Fermon said. “We are not excluding the possibility those are all related.”

In Thursday’s incident at the 909 S. Main St. Walgreens, a man robbed the store at knifepoint and fled on foot to the west with an undisclosed amount of cash shortly after 8 p.m. No one was injured.

Police made two arrests in one of the recent robberies, at the Casey's General Store, 2017 Fox Creek Road, on Dec. 16. Calvin Harris, 31, of Rockford and Mary Harris, 29, of Bloomington were both taken into custody on armed robbery charges.

BPD asks anyone who might have information about any of the recent incidents (see below) to contact detective Steve Moreland at (309) 434-2359 or smoreland@cityblm.org.

Normal is also investigating two recent armed robberies at Dollar General, 1100 S. Cottage Ave. In the first incident on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. a black male about five feet nine inches tall with a possibly heavier build, wearing all black clothing, gray gloves and a hoodie pulled up took an undisclosed amount of money from the store.

On Dec. 23, the store was robbed by a suspect described as 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-6, thin build, wearing dark clothes, a hoodie and a brightly colored scarf.

Police ask anyone with information about those cases to contact Normal Police detective Brad Underwood at (309) 454-9798 or bunderwood@normal.org; or call McLean County Crime Stoppers at (309) 828-1111.

Bloomington armed robberies since Dec. 8:

  • Dec. 8 - 9:45 p.m. Shell, 1801 S. Veterans Parkway
  • Dec. 15 - 6:54 p.m. Freedom Oil, 1331 N. Linden St.
  • Dec. 16 - 1:26 p.m. Casey’s General Store, 2017 Fox Creek Rd. (2 arrests)
  • Dec. 22 - 6:25 p.m. J.B. Hawks Discount Tobacco and Vape, 1100 E. Oakland Av.
  • Dec. 26 - 9:29 p.m. Little Caesars Pizza, 2507 E. Oakland Ave.
  • Dec. 26 - 9:38 p.m. CVS, 1103 S. Veterans Parkway
  • Dec. 27 - 8:14 p.m.  1300 block of North Lee St.
  • Jan. 3 - 8:08 p.m. Walgreens, 909 S. Main St.  

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Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
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