LORAIN — Police were busy overnight as three armed robberies took place in less than two hours.

The first involved a man who fired at his victim when she started screaming.

A 30-year-old Lorain woman was leaving her home in the 2700 block of West Erie Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. Thursday when an unknown man walked from her backyard and demanded “everything” she had.

The woman started screaming that she didn’t have anything and her screams drew her family outside to the front porch. That’s when the victim told police she heard two gunshots. The robber fled.

The man was described by witnesses as short, wearing a light green jacket or sweatshirt.

The second crime occurred at 10:48 p.m. as a 22-year-old man was driving slowly along West 17th Street near Long Avenue looking for a friend’s address.

The victim told police both front doors of his vehicle were opened by two unknown men, both of whom had handguns. One man put the vehicle in park and took the keys while the other dragged the man onto the street.

The victim struggled with his attacker, losing his jacket in the process, and ran to a relative’s nearby home. Police found the jacket minus $10 from a pocket.

The two men were described as African American, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, slender build, late teens to early 20s wearing black jeans and black hooded sweatshirts.

Finally, just after 11 p.m., three men were involved in the armed robbery of the Sunoco Gas Station on Colorado Avenue.
Two men were seen by a customer trying to steal Red Bull energy drinks and when the 28-year-old customer confronted the two men, they shoved her into a food display, police said.

The woman’s father, also inside the gas station, “pushed the males outside into the parking lot” but one of them pointed a gun at his daughter while the other yelled “shoot that b—-”, police said.

A third man was waiting in a maroon four-door sedan and all three robbers fled the area.

The woman said the gun was a black revolver with a broken handle.

The men were described as African American wearing black hooded jackets.

Police requested a copy of the store’s security video.

Sgt. Mark Carpentiere said police have no reason to believe the crimes are connected but said “we’re not ruling that out right now.”

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

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