3 Collinwood Businesses Robbed At Gunpoint In 45 Minutes

CLEVELAND, OH — Three Collinwood restaurants were robbed at gunpoint on Jan. 2. The robberies took place within a 45-minute window, a Cleveland Police spokesperson said. Now police are asking the public for help in finding the two suspects believed to be involved.

The first attempted robbery took place at Georgio's, at about 7:45 p.m. The suspect, a man, came into the restaurant with a gun in his hand. He told the employee working the cash register to open the drawer and give him the money. Luckily, there's a plate of glass separating the rear of the restaurant from the front, so the employee drifted to the back, where the suspect could not follow. Nothing was taken during the robbery.

The second robbery happened at Subway, roughly five minutes after the incident at Georgio's. A store employee said two men came into the sandwich shop and one of them was carrying a gun. The employee was in the back washing dishes, but saw the men come in.

One of the suspects came to the counter, looked at the employee, placed his gun on the counter and told her to give him the money in the cash register. The man then took the money himself out of the register.

The third robbery took place at Mr. Hero's at about 8:30 p.m. Again, two men came into the restaurant, pointed a gun at an employee and demanded cash. This time though, one of the suspects pointed a gun at an employee and demanded information on the store's safe. The suspects were eventually able to get access to the cash drawers and steal money from the restaurant.

Nearly $1,400 was stolen, a store employee estimated, according to police records.

A Mr. Hero's employee also said they believe the robbery was carried out by the same person who robbed the sandwich shop two weeks ago.

A Rash of Crimes

Over the past two months, Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek , who represents the Collinwood neighborhood, has been aggressively campaigning for an increased police presence in his neighborhood. He even went so far as to ask Mayor Frank Jackson to declare a state of emergency in the city to stem the growing tide of violence.

"When groups of young thugs feel they can stand on a busy corner and brazenly shoot at one another without regard for citizens or the police, something is terribly wrong," Polensek wrote in his letter. "The Cleveland Police Department is understaffed and as a result basic patrols and deployment have suffered greatly. The citizens know that there are not enough police on the streets and the thugs know this as well."

Polensek's letter followed an incident on Waterloo Road that saw eight men get into a gun battle near a gas station. Two men were shot and a 7-year-old was grazed by a bullet during the incident.

"A growing number of Cleveland residents and businesses feel threatened and unsafe. When this happens they talk with their feet and walk away from the communities they have lived in and supported, in many cases, for their whole life," Polensek said.

Photos from Cleveland Police