San Diego

A robber struck two Fotomat drive-up stores in San Diego on Tuesday, marking the 11th time in less than a month that the same man has held up a local retail shop, police said. All but two of the robberies have occurred at Fotomat stores.

The man, described as white, 25 years old, and about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with short brown hair, approaches Fotomat booths with a paper sack over his left hand, tells the cashier he has a gun and demands money, police spokesman Bill Robinson said. The robber then sticks the cash in the sack and runs away.

The thief escaped with $73 in dollar bills and coins from a robbery at 10:39 a.m. Tuesday at the Fotomat booth at 303 Washington St. It was the second time within a week that the robber had held up the same clerk there.

The clerk called police when she recognized the man in the parking lot, according to a Fotomat employee who asked not to be identified. The robber told the clerk to hang up the phone, took the money and fled on foot minutes before police arrived, the employee said.

An undetermined amount of money was stolen during the second Fotomat robbery, at 4:25 p.m. Tuesday on El Cajon Boulevard near 54th Street.

Fotomat clerks have been alerted to the string of robberies and have been instructed not to resist, the employee said. “Right now, it’s getting so ridiculous. I’m sure he will get caught soon,” the employee said.

The two robberies not involving Fotomat shops occurred Sept. 24 at Gary’s Tux Shop on 4th Avenue and Sept. 28 at Dean’s Photo Service on Garnet Avenue. The robber reportedly struck a clerk with a gun during the tuxedo shop robbery.

The robber’s take averages $50 to $70, Robinson said.

Police ask that anyone who may have information regarding the thefts call Detective Dan Luth of the San Diego Police Department at 236-6424.