Petaluma police seek help identifying armed robbery suspect
PETALUMA (BCN) - Petaluma police are seeking the public's help in identifying a man believed to have committed multiple armed robberies in Petaluma and elsewhere in Sonoma County.
According to police, on Sept. 23 at 6:58 p.m. the suspect robbed the Yogurt World store in the 700 block of Sonoma Mountain Parkway. He allegedly entered the store, brandished a black handgun at an employee, demanded cash and then fled on foot.
The suspect was described as a white man, 40 to 55 years old, 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall. He was wearing a baseball hat and dark sunglasses, police said.
On Friday at 4:04 p.m., a suspect with a similar description robbed the Palm Beach Tan shop in the 200 block of North McDowell Boulevard.
He allegedly entered the shop, approached an employee and demanded cash. He fled the shop on foot and headed west toward the Kmart store in the Plaza North Shopping Center, police said.
Police believe the suspect committed another robbery on Sept. 15 at the See's Candies store at 333 S. McDowell Blvd.
The suspect also matches the description of the suspect in three other recent robberies that occurred in Cotati, Santa Rosa and possibly Windsor, police said.
According to police, the physical description of the suspect in all of these cases appears to be similar, but in some cases his clothing was different.
In addition to the hat and sunglasses he wears in most of the robberies, the suspect also typically uses a bag to conceal a black handgun and to carry the cash that he steals, police said.
Police do not know if he is associated with a vehicle.
Business owners in the area are asked to discuss this information with their employees and have them report any suspicious people to police.
Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect is encouraged to call Petaluma police at (707) 778-4372.