Police: Suspect could be casing next robbery

The suspect in seven robberies and one murder could be casing stores in advance looking for female clerks working alone at opening or closing time, police said Wednesday.

Posted 5:29 p.m. Sep 24, 2008 — Updated 11:04 p.m. Sep 24, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. — The suspect in seven robberies and one murder could be casing stores in advance looking for female clerks working alone at opening or closing time, police said Wednesday.

“It's a two-way street, the bad guy is looking for a place to hit, we need to be looking for the bad guy looking for a place to hit if that makes sense,” Raleigh Police Sgt. Kevin Carswell said.

The suspect has been described as a black man with a light to medium complexion. He appears to be about 5-foot-11 with an athletic build.

Police believe the same suspect is responsible for a string of robberies in the North Raleigh area starting in January. The robberies mostly took place when the businesses were opening or closing and most of the clerks involved were female.

The suspect is wanted in the shooting death of Trade Wilco convenience store clerk Stephanie Anderson on April 10 and the shooting of 25-year-old Modesta Fernandez-Lucas, an employee at the Mexico Lindo check-cashing business on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh on Sept. 10. She was treated at WakeMed for non-life-threatening injuries.

Lachanda Powell, Anderson’s younger sister, wants the suspect caught before someone else gets hurt.

“Somebody knows something. They need to come forward because it could have been their sister. It could have been their mother. It could have been their aunt. Anybody that could have gotten killed that day,” Powell said.

Police believe the same man also robbed three Subway restaurants – on Durant Road, Capital Boulevard and Six Forks Road – between January and early May. The suspect is also believed to have robbed a BoJangle’s restaurant in early June and the Capital Food Mart on May 24.

Authorities said the suspect fired shots in three of the seven robberies. During the other four robberies the suspect displayed a gun.

“He’s very dangerous, as dangerous as they get. He’s violent. He’s swift. He’s cold. He’s a killer,” Carswell said.

A reward will be provided for information that materially assists the investigation of the case. A special tipline was set up to handle calls 24 hours a day. To report a tip call, 919-227-6220.

WilcoHess, which operates the convenience store where Anderson worked, has also offered a $25,000 reward in the case.

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