SAN DIEGO (CBS8/CNS) – Police are asking for the public’s help Wednesday in identifying two men who carried out a string of armed robberies at gas stations and convenience stores in Birdland, Hillcrest, La Jolla, Lemon Grove and Spring valley during a five-hour span.
Investigators believe the same two masked thieves threatened clerks with a pistol and stole cash from the five Shell stations and 7-Eleven stores between 11 p.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday, according to police and sheriff's officials.
"They were just saying you are being robbed, give us the money. I was cleaning the store - fixing to close. I looked at them, I thought they were just kidding until they pulled a 22-revolver," said Quan, a clerk.
Surveillance cameras captured images of the bandits, described as roughly 5-foot-6-inch Latinos in their early to mid-20s.
One of them was clad in a black baseball cap inscribed with the letter "D,'' a blue Chargers lightning bolt-logo sweatshirt and a bandana with a skull design on it covering the lower part of his face. His accomplice was wearing a dark-colored billed hat bearing the letters ``SD'' and used a black T-shirt to obscure the bottom of his face.
Following several of the holdups, the pair made their getaway in a late 1990s- or early 2000s-model white Ford Mustang with damage to the front driver's side quarter panel, police said.
Anyone with information about any of the robberies was asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.