ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul Police are stepping up patrols and asking for residents to keep their eyes open after a series of recent robberies at or near Como Lake.
Police spokesman Mike Ernster confirms that investigators are looking into three robberies, two of which took place March 23 and one on March 30.
In the first incident a 40-year-old man was walking in the area of E. Como Lake Drive and Lakeview around 6 a.m. March 23 when a dark colored SUV he describes as an older, boxy style drove up and stopped behind him. The victim says 2 male suspects exited the vehicle and approached him. One of the suspects reportedly struck him with a weapon similar to a bat or a club, causing him to fall to the ground.
The man says the suspects punched him in the face, demanded his cell phone and then fled. The victim described his assailants as African American males both between 5 feet 10 and 5 feet 11 inches tall and around 180 pounds. One had a gray hooded jacket, while the other wore a black jacket and a mask.
The second incident took place just after 1:30 p.m. that day on the 1200 block of St Albans. The victim tells police he was walking down the alley behind his home when a white Dodge pulled up on him and four men got out. He says one said hi to him, and then the others attacked, punching and kicking him as he fell to the ground. The 55-year-old man says the suspects reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, then got back into the car and drove away.
He described the suspects as four African American males between 18 and 20 years old, one with dreadlocks and wearing glasses.
The third assault and robbery took place March 30. A 55-year-old woman tells police she was walking around the southwest side of Como Lake when she was suddenly pushed from behind. The victim says one of the men slapped her, and a group demanded her cell phone and wallet while digging through her pockets.
Because she was attacked from behind the victim could not describe her attackers, but police feel the crime was similar to the two that took place a week earlier.
Ernster says no arrests have been made in relation to these three incidents, but the robberies happened under similar circumstances and may involve the same suspects. "We have increased patrols in the area around Como Lake and are asking people to call police if they see suspicious behavior," Ernster wrote in response to an inquiry by KARE 11.
