Slaying Tied to Robberies
Sheriff’s homicide detectives have linked the slaying of an El Cajon convenience store clerk to a series of armed robberies that have occurred near Interstate 8 in the past week.
The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s to 30s, about 6 feet tall with long hair worn in dreadlocks or corn rows.
Lt. John Tenwold warned that the man is armed and considered extremely dangerous. He is a suspect in the shooting last Monday of Carl Blanton, 29, during a robbery of a Circle K mini-mart in El Cajon.
The suspect is also sought in four other armed robberies, all within short distances of I-8, and a car theft and robbery Aug. 10 in the parking lot of a 6th Avenue restaurant in San Diego.
The stolen car, a dark gray 1990 Mazda with license plates 2SQH176, has not been recovered, and officials say it may have been used in the other robberies.
In the latest incident, the man robbed an Alpine mini-mart at an I-8 off-ramp Thursday night, ordering the clerk to lie on the floor, then vaulting the counter to take money from the cash register.
Similar actions took place during the robbery Sunday night of a mini-mart on Mollison Avenue in El Cajon and one a week ago at a La Mesa convenience store a week ago. In all the robberies, the suspect was carrying a steel-blue revolver, and in several cases, witnesses said he was wearing a ski cap and reflective sunglasses.
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