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Police believe the man pictured in each of the photos above is in fact the same man who has committed seven robberies in Dauphin and Cumberland counties.
(Derry Township, Camp Hill and Lower Paxton township police)
A man wearing a surgical mask and a hoodie has robbed several convenience stores and gas stations on both sides of the river over the last few weeks, according to local police.
As of Monday, the man had committed seven holdups in Lower Paxton, Derry, North Cornwall, Lower Swatara townships and Camp Hill Borough, according to police. While the man has never actually displayed a weapon during any of the robberies, detectives are concerned that, left unchecked, the possibility for violence will only increase as the robberies continue.
The man typically wears a surgical or dust-style mask over his lower face and a light-colored hoodie, according to police reports. He usually implies he has a gun, but so far, no weapon has been displayed.
"It appears — and we never know for sure — that it's the old finger in the pocket trick, but we never know, and nobody's taking any chances," said Lt. Gary Seefeldt, a spokesman for Lower Paxton Township police, who are investigating two robberies on Aug. 15 and Sept. 7.
Derry Township detectives first noted similarities between the man who robbed a Turkey Hill of Briarcrest Drive on Aug. 18 and the suspect in a Sunoco gas station robbery off Route 322 early Aug. 24, said Lt. Timothy Roche, a Derry Township police spokesman.
Detectives also noted the similar descriptions and actions of a man who robbed a Hess gas station on Allentown Boulevard on Aug. 15 in Lower Paxton, Roche said.
"We initially discussed similarities with Lower Paxton Township PD since our robberies happened so shortly after theirs," Roche said. "We are currently working with all other agencies involved."
The same robber is believed responsible for an Aug. 21 robbery of a Speedy Mart on Market Street in Camp Hill and a Turkey Hill store in North Cornwall Township on Sept. 3. Police believe the man's most recent crime was a robbery reported Saturday morning at a Sunoco gas station in Lower Paxton, Seefeldt said.
"We never know for sure if its the same person until we make an arrest, but obviously the method and actions are so similar in these cases that we're all pretty convinced," Seefeldt said.
In Saturday's robbery, a store clerk was injured when he tried to prevent the robber from entering the store, Seefeldt said. The clerk saw the masked robber walking toward the store and briefly engaged in a tug of war with him at the door. When the robber forced his way into the store, the clerk cut himself on the door, Seefeldt said.
"He's staying busy, it's getting to the point where it's every three days or so," Seefeldt said. "None of these can be looked at individually as departments, there's too many different municipalities … We're sharing information, we are getting together physically, all of that, so that everyone knows what each of us has and what we're working on."
Roche agreed, adding that police are also asking customers and especially store owners to be on the lookout for suspicious activity during the early morning hours when the robber has been most active.
"Patrons and clerks should be [cognizant] and somewhat suspicious of any persons approaching a business wearing scarves or surgical masks around their mouths," Roche said.