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Police look for robberies

• The Cracker Barrel restaurant was robbed at gunpoint Saturday morning, police officials say.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — Police officials are issuing a warning today asking business owners to use caution when opening up their buildings in the mornings after a man, clad in a bandanna, claimed his ninth holdup Saturday morning.

Just after 6:15 a.m. Saturday, a man wearing gray clothing and using a bandanna for a mask, calmly walked through the front doors of the Cracker Barrel on Westover Boulevard, brandished a weapon and made off with an undisclosed amount of money, Albany Police Spokesperson Phyllis Banks said.

It’s the ninth such robbery involving a bandanna clad robber since Father’s day weekend and the second in two days.

“We’re going to catch him,” Banks said. “It’s just a matter of time. The detectives are working hard on this case and are confident that the person responsible will be caught soon.”

Until they do, police officials are urging business owners to use caution when opening up their stores and to make sure they don’t keep very much cash on hand early in the day.

“Lately, he’s been hitting stores early in the morning,” she said. “We want to tell business owners to be extremely careful when they open up in the mornings. Be vigilant and report any suspicious behavior.”

In Saturday’s robbery, the suspect changed his attire from previous robberies but Banks said that while the clothing may have changed, his mannerisms have not.

“In each of the robberies he’s gone in calmly, pulled the gun and handed the teller or cashier a bag and then left,” Banks said. “This guy is the same guy.”

Described as a 6 feet, 2 inch tall man and weighing in at nearly 280 pounds, investigators have described the man as having a “stocky” build, Banks said.

Police are still trying to locate a man they have deemed a “person of interest” in the cases who was spotted hours before a convenience store at the corner of Lockett Station Road and Gillionville Road was robbed last month.

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