Marysville police on alert after armed robbery spree

A recent spike in armed robberies prompted Marysville police to visit several liquor stores and gas stations on Tuesday, searching for ways to bolster security.

"Unfortunately, they've absolutely increased over about the last four months," Sgt. Chris Sachs said. "It's definitely alarming."

Sachs said such robberies have been sporadic this year, but conspicuously higher than in years past.

The search continues today for an armed, white-gloved thief with facial tattoos who robbed two Marysville convenience stores minutes apart late Monday.

"It was definitely the same guy at both robberies," Sachs said.

No one was injured, and no shots were fired.

Police said a man pulled a semiautomatic pistol around 11 p.m. at the 7-Eleven store in the 500 block of East 19th Street, demanded money and escaped in a silver or grey sedan, possibly a Honda Civic.

About 30 minutes later, the same suspect apparently entered the 7-Eleven in the 400 block of Ninth Street and again drew the weapon and demanded money, police said in a statement.

Sachs said it was not clear how much money was stolen.

Police described the suspect as a Hispanic man, about 5 foot, 4 inches tall, weighing about 300 pounds with a spider-like tattoo under his right eye and another smaller tattoo under his left eye. He wore a black beanie hat, black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and white mechanic or baseball batting gloves.

"This is the first time they were robbed," said Iqbal Gill, who owns both stores.

He assumed control of the East 19th Street store in 1993 and the Ninth Street location three years later, according to city business records.

Monday's armed robberies were the second and third in Yuba County in four days.

A Burger King on North Beale Road in Linda was robbed Friday night. The suspect in that robbery was described as a black man who also had facial tattoos. No arrests have been made, Yuba County sheriff's Lt. Damon Gil said Tuesday.

The suspect in Monday's robberies appeared similar to a man described in another string of liquor store robberies in September in Sutter and Yuba counties.

Sachs said police don't believe there is a link between Monday's robberies and three in September, but officers have not ruled out the possibility.

"Obviously, the investigation is ongoing, and we're looking at all the possibilities," Sachs said.

A man bearing a similar resemblance, described by police as a heavy-set Hispanic, brandished a handgun Sept. 28 about 20 minutes apart at convenience stores in Yuba City. Three days earlier, a man used a gun to rob the Yuba Food & Liquor Mart in Marysville.

A woman in a dust mask robbed the Lakeview Petroleum station Sept. 4, making off with thousands.

No one was injured in any of the robberies, and no arrests have been made.

Marysville police visited numerous stores on Tuesday to address safety issues.

"We're just making sure that windows are not blocked and that they have proper lighting so that people can see what's going on inside," Sachs said.