Police: Three Petaluma businesses robbed Wednesday

Three Petaluma robberies Wednesday involved a man acting as if he had a gun and stealing cash from a convenience market and a gas station early in the morning and drugs from a grocery store’s pharmacy in the afternoon.

Detectives are looking at whether the third robbery was done by the same man as the first two, said detective Sgt. Ed Crosby.

Within an hour of the second robbery police had released a surveillance clip of the suspect and a possible second person involved, hoping for help in identifying them.

The first robbery happened just before 5:30 a.m. at the Quik Stop on East Washington Street. About 50 minutes later, the man held up the Valero gas station just blocks away on Baywood Drive, police said.

In the first robbery, the man told a clerk he had a gun, but didn’t show one, Petaluma Sgt. Paul Gilman said. Police said the robber may have had an accomplice and were attempting to determine if there were two people involved.

The second man walked into the Quik Stop about one minute prior to the robber’s entry, Gilman said.

In both cases, an undisclosed amount of cash was taken. The robberies were quick, lasting less than one minute, Gilman said.

The robber, who covered much of his face, appeared to be white, in his 20s and wore a dark-colored, hooded sweatshirt with a white stripe down the arms and black sweatpants with a white stripe down the leg.

The second person appeared to be Latino, wore a Sharks baseball cap, a striped white and gray polo shirt and carried a backpack.

Witnesses believed the robber left on foot.

The third robbery occurred at 1:45 p.m. at the Lucky grocery pharmacy in the Gateway Shopping Center on Lakeville Street.

In that case, the robber told a pharmacist he had a gun and demanded medication. Police didn’t release the type of drug stolen.

The man attempted to hide his face and wore a camouflage baseball cap, black T-shirt, blue denim jacket with gray sleeves and khaki pants. Crosby said the same man committed the first two and detectives are looking to see if he also was connected to the third.

Police asked anyone with information to contact Detective Tamara Shoemaker at 778-4444.