Albany police respond to weekend armed robberies

ALBANY — Two separate armed robbery incidents were reported over the weekend, reports from the Albany Police Department show.

Reports say officers responded to 911 E. Oglethorpe Blvd., the site of the Sand Trap, shortly after midnight on Sunday in reference to an armed robbery. Phyllis Banks, spokeswoman for the APD, said that upon officer arrival, contact was made with two women who said a black man wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans had come up to their car and robbed them.

The suspect reportedly went to the driver side of the vehicle and asked one of the victims for a lighter. She said she gave him a lighter, after which the suspect tried to pull on the rear door handle to get inside of the vehicle — but the doors were locked. The other victim said the suspect went up to a door and pulled out a gun, Banks said.

Once he pulled the gun out, he reportedly snatched a purse off the lap of one of the victims and took off running behind the building, Banks said.

Banks said Steven Rashaad Watson, 27, was arrested at 905 E. Oglethorpe Blvd. by APD Uniform Officers, who identified the offender from the description given by the victims. Dougherty County Jail records show he was still detained Monday on two aggravated assault charges and one armed robbery charge.

An armed robbery was also reported at 100 Thornton Drive at around 6 a.m. on Saturday, APD reports show.

Banks said a 38-year-old man reported that he had been robbed at gunpoint as he was traveling west on East Broad Avenue in his bread delivery truck. He said that he had turned onto Thornton Drive and was approached by two suspects dressed in black T-shirts and black shorts.

One of the suspects pointed a gun and ordered him out of the truck. The suspects took cash and his cell phone, Banks said.

The suspects also rummaged through the delivery truck and ordered him to give them bread from the vehicle, to which he complied. The man also told police that one shot was fired in his direction, but he was not struck, Banks said.

After the shot was fired, the suspects fled on foot. The victim jumped back in his vehicle and drove to the Flash Foods at 1601 E. Oglethorpe Blvd. to call police, Banks said.