DATE: Thursday, September 18, 1997          TAG: 9709180306

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JANIE BRYANT, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   35 lines

POLICE SEEK HELP TO SOLVE ROBBERIES IN PORTSMOUTH

Police are asking for help in finding a suspect wanted for two robberies of Dollar General Stores on Wednesday.

One of the stores, in Cavalier Manor, had been robbed twice in three days.

The store is one of at least seven businesses that have been robbed in Portsmouth during the past week.

Three businesses and a man getting out of his car at a business parking lot on Turnpike Road were robbed within two hours last Thursday.

Police believe the man who committed Wednesday's robberies may be linked to at least three others. Police are looking for the same suspect in Tuesday's robberies.

He is described as black, in his late teens or early 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall, and 150 pounds. He wore a blue ballcap and a red-, blue- and green-striped shirt.

He wore sunglasses, had a dark complexion and may have acne or some type of scarring on both sides of his face. He may be driving a silver or gray Nissan.

The first robbery Wednesday occurred about 11:45 a.m. at the Dollar General Store at 4231 Greenwood Drive.

The other store, at 5809 W. Norfolk Road in Churchland, was robbed about 12:50 p.m.

The Greenwood Drive store also was robbed about noon Monday.

In each case, the robber came in as if to make a purchase. Once the cash drawer was opened, he displayed a gun and demanded money.

Anyone with information about these robberies or robbery attempts is asked to call Portsmouth Crime Line at 488-7777. KEYWORDS: ROBBERY

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