VENTURA : Robber Linked to String of Crimes

An armed man wearing a ski mask and poncho has committed a string of robberies and holdup attempts in east Ventura during the past 10 days, police said Thursday.

The most recent incidents occurred Wednesday night when the bandit hit two pizza places and a gas station within 40 minutes.

At 10:06 p.m., the robber tried to enter Domino’s Pizza in the 6500 block of Telephone Road.

But the doors were locked, and a lone clerk inside recognized the robber as the same man who held up the store a week ago.

After fleeing Domino’s, the robber was spotted at Little Caesar’s Pizza in the 6100 block of Telegraph Road about 10:30 p.m. He fled after failing to get money.

Eleven minutes later, a man carrying a semiautomatic handgun robbed a clerk at the Blankenship Shell gas station at the corner of Telephone and Kimball roads. He took a small amount of money and fled.

Last week, a man wearing similar clothing robbed the same Little Caesar’s Pizza on Telegraph Road. In that robbery, he pulled a gun from his waistband and handed a plastic bag to the clerk, who put money in it. Police said they have no suspects.

“This is a very recent string,” Sgt. Bob Anderson said.

“He has a thing for pizza establishments and businesses late in the evening on the east end of town.”