Serial business robbers sought
Violent crime is up across the city. That includes robbery. Lately, it seems businesses are taking the brunt of it.
On Monday a robber confronted two employees at the Little Cesar's off East Riverside Drive and Pleasant Valley. Subway Manager Jessica Esterly was working next door at the time.
"They were very shaken up. Luckily they got out. That's what we were told. They saw the gun and ran,” said Jessica Esterly.
Esterly did not want to show her face as the suspect is still at large. One of her security cameras actually recorded him passing by moments before the robbery occurred.
"It happens in this area a lot. It's unsettling. We're very careful. We almost kind of are ready,” said Esterly.
That's a good thing because police are currently working to find robbers who have targeted two Subways-- possibly a third. Officers released video from the restaurant on Norwood Park Boulevard in Northeast Austin captured on August 29th.
To watch the video on your mobile device, click here.
"In those particular cases they were going into the Subway shops. They would order a sandwich and then basically they were taking over the store robbing the clerks at gunpoint and fleeing the store with cash,” said Sgt. William White.
Sgt. William White says two days later the men struck again. This time they hit a Subway off Mesa and Spicewood Springs.
White and his detectives also seek to identify a man connected to a series of robberies along I-35. White says he struck the Metro PCS store on South Congress on July 13th.
To view images of the suspect on your mobile device, click here.
"In that particular case he just approached the clerk and robbed the store at gunpoint. And like in many of the business robberies we have they'll initially pretend to be a customer,” said White.
Esterly's Subway was hit last year. She consistently trains her employees should they come face-to-face with a robber.
"I try not to scare then, but try to be realistic and train them so that it does happen,” said Esterly. "It's scary and unsettling that's how it is these days that you have to be that careful."
Detectives say if you are caught in a business and are not able to escape a robbery do your best to be a good witness. License plate numbers are the biggest help in solving crime.
If you recognize the men in any of the images call the Robbery Unit Tipline at 512-974-5092