Police believe this man robbed the Biggby Coffee on Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor Thursday. The man also is believed to have robbed the GameStop on Washtenaw Avenue Tuesday.
Courtesy of AAPD
Ann Arbor police believe the Thursday afternoon robbery at Biggby Coffee on Stadium Boulevard is related to a robbery at a business on Washtenaw Avenue earlier this week.
Ann Arbor police Det. Bill Stanford said the Biggby robbery was very similar to the incident Tuesday at GameStop, 3225 Washtenaw Ave. Stanford said a man walked into Biggby, showed a knife to a cashier and demanded cash.
Stanford said there were between seven and 10 people in the shop during the robbery Thursday. The fact that the man doesn’t appear deterred by other people being in the store leads police to believe the man is a threat.
“He’s pretty desperate and dangerous,” Stanford said. “We need to get him off the streets.”
Stanford said the man walked into the store, 2550 W. Stadium Blvd., and skipped the line, walking directly to the counter. He produced a knife and went around the counter demanding cash from the register. He was given an unknown amount of cash and then walked out, Stanford said. The robbery was reported at 3:51 p.m.
On Tuesday, a man walked into GameStop and up to the counter. Police said the man pulled out a knife and demanded cash before walking away from the business. That incident also was in the afternoon, reported at 5:23 p.m. Tuesday.
A kitchen-type knife has been used in both incidents, Stanford said. No one has been injured and no other weapon has been reported.
The man is described as black, 6-feet tall, between 160 and 180 pounds, wearing a black or gray hooded sweatshirt and black or gray pants. He’s approximately 25 years old.
Stanford released an image of the man, caught on Biggby security cameras. The man is seen taking money from the cash register at the store.
The man was last seen by witnesses in the area of Jackson Avenue and Stadium Boulevard, near the Biggby. Anyone who sees the man is encouraged to be cautious around him.
Anyone with information about either of these two incidents is encouraged to call Stanford at 734-323-2628 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).
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Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.