Elizabeth City, NC - Three people have been robbed at gunpoint in Elizabeth City in just over two weeks.
The victims, according to police, were a 46-year-old man riding his bike from Southgate Mall, a 25-year-old man walking on Roanoke Avenue, and a 20-year-old driver stopped at an intersection.
Hearing about the latest reports worries Lasha Johnson, especially since, she says, someone attempted to rob her 17-year-old son and his friend a month ago while they were working on a car.
“When they went to go pick up the speakers, they fell. I mean, the speaker kind of fell and he saw the boy kind of jump back and when the guy jumped back, somebody turned him around with a gun in his face,” Johnson says.
In the most recent case, police say two men dressed in all black jumped in a guy’s car at the intersection of Elizabeth and Water Streets while stopped at a red light.
One man pointed a gun at the 20-year-old driver, they say, and told him to keep moving.
When they came to another stop, police say the suspects took money and ran off. Both suspects were only described as younger black males, approx. 5' 8" to 5' 9" tall, slim build, and wearing all black.
The other two incidents happened late last month.
On November 25th, a 46-year-old man riding his bike on the path from Southgate Mall to Cardwell Street was stopped by two individuals, both armed with handguns. They removed money from his pocket and fled on foot.
A 25-year-old man reported the following day that he was walking in the 700 block of Roanoke Avenue when he was approached by a black male armed with a silver revolver. The victim gave the suspect his wallet and cell phone and the suspect fled.
Right now, police don’t know if they are connected.
Johnson says it seems to be a trend this time of year.
“Around holidays, income tax time, we get a lot of that,” says Johnson. “I just wish they would stop. I just wish they would stop robbing people and you know, just try like everybody else is doing.”
Elizabeth City Police have not made any arrests in the three armed robberies.
If you have any information, they ask that you call them at (252) 335-4321.
