Pull tabs store robbed

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Article Published: Sunday, January 08, 2006

By AMANDA BOHMAN, Staff Writer
A man with a gun robbed an Emerald Isle Pull Tabs store on Saturday in what was the third holdup of a Fairbanks business in 15 days.

The man is described as white, of medium height and slender build with blue eyes, said pull tabs store owner Dave Lambert.

The robber donned a ski mask before entering the store in the Washington Plaza off Airport Way about 4 p.m., Lambert said.

He pointed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol at the clerk on duty and a customer, the only two people occupying the store, and demanded money, Lambert said.

The robber placed the cash inside a bag with a drawstring and left the store on foot, the owner said.

"He went off running down toward the Klondike Inn," Lambert said.

The robbery, which transpired in less than a minute, netted the gunman less than $100, Lambert said.

As in a previous pull tabs store robbery, the man was caught on videotape.

A reward will be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the robber, Lambert said. The reward amount is yet to be determined.

The suspect in two other robberies remains at large.

A man with a gun robbed the Lions Choice Pull Tabs the afternoon of Dec. 23 before disappearing into a swarm of Christmas shoppers at the Bentley Mall. A unidentified man robbed Tahiti Tans on College Road the evening of Jan. 2.

In all three robberies, the man, described as about 5 feet 9 inches tall, covered his face and head and fled the scene on foot. The same weapon seems to have been used in the two pull tabs store robberies.

The suspect in the first pull tabs store robbery reportedly loitered outside the store front for about an hour before entering the store and pointing a gun at the clerk and her son.
The robbery gained the man about $880, and a $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

A man with a face mask and hooded sweatshirt entered Tahiti Tans as the daughter of the owner was cleaning up. The business was closed, but the front door was left unlocked.
The robber kept his hands in his pockets and demanded the woman open the safe. She didn't have the combination, so she directed him to the cash register where there was less than $200.
Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Fairbanks police at 459-6500 or Fairbanks Crime Stoppers at 456-CLUE.

Reporter Amanda Bohman can be reached at abohman@newsminer.com or 459-7544.