The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) is investigating two weekend robberies.
“This is out of character,” GPD Lieutenant Kevin Holbrook said. “We are looking at the possibility that they are related, but at this time we can’t say whether they are or not.”
Holbrook said that the first incident occurred at around 9 p.m. when police responded to Butler Park for a reported robbery. A woman said her purse was stolen by a hispanic male who allegedly flashed a weapon.
Officials say he left the area on foot with the woman’s purse.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and GPD set up a perimeter and they used canine teams for the search, but came up empty.
The search lasted for over an hour and the individual potentially left in a vehicle according to Holbrook.
The next day, another woman reported that she was approached by “multiple males” in a dark truck on Myrtle Street.
A “tussle” then ensued between the woman and one of the males according to officials. A warning shot was then fired by one of the people from the truck and they fled the scene.
“We’re hoping the public can assist us in any way if they may have seen anything suspicious,” Holbrook said. “We put out to the public to always be aware of your surroundings. Look for anything suspicious. You never know exactly what could happen or when something could happen.”
The investigation is still ongoing.
