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MURRAY -- Police believe a serial robber may be responsible for four recent crimes.
Investigators say the description of the robber in all four crimes is the same. The method he uses to get into the stores is the same, and he targets the store's safe each time.
The latest robbery happened at the Family Dollar store at 6142 S. 1300 East around 9:45 p.m. Thursday. Police say a man in his 20s, wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and something covering his face, threw a large rock into the front window of the store, shattering the glass. He then climbed through the broken window and pulled a handgun on the employees inside.
Sgt. Jake Huggard of the Murray Police Department said, "He brandished the handgun. He demanded the employees open the safe. They did and gave him money. He fled on foot."
Murray police surrounded the area looking for the robber. They used police dogs in an attempt to track him down, but had no success.
Police believe the man also robbed the same Family Dollar about two weeks ago and is responsible for two more robberies in the past two weeks in West Valley City.
Police say he seems to target each of the stores just as workers are closing up. He doesn't physically harm the employees, but he does threaten them with the gun.
"They're normally right at front doing closing duties, so they're right there when it happens. They're necessary for the type of robbery because he wants to get into the safe," Huggard explained.
Anyone with information is asked to call 801-840-4000.
Written with contributions from Shara Park and Randall Jeppesen.
