CMPD investigates whether business robberies linked to recent crimes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police are investigating two separate overnight robberies that happened within minutes of each other in northeast Charlotte.

Investigators said two men armed with guns robbed the Speedway gas station on University City Boulevard around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Nobody was hurt in either robbery, officials said.

[MAP: String of business robberies across Charlotte]

Less than 10 minutes later, a man who also had a gun robbed Insomnia Cookies on North Tryon Street a few miles away. Police said he walked into the store and robbed two employees who were inside, getting away with $300.

Mike Cappelletti learned about the robbery Tuesday afternoon when he showed up for work at the store next to Insomnia Cookies.

“We've had a few questionable characters walking around,” Cappelletti said.

Allison Council is a consultant working with the owners of a restaurant that’s moving into the same shopping center as the cookie shop, and told Channel 9 that she’s not surprised at all about news of the robberies.

“It's near Christmas and they're just going on and on and on about hitting these small businesses, because they know the shoppers are only going to hit the small businesses during the day, and at night, it's free game,” Council said.

There has been a string of armed robberies across Charlotte over the last several weeks, but police have not said if the latest crimes are connected to them.

As of Sunday, there have been 431 business robberies this year reported to officials in Charlotte, up from 370 at the same time last year – a 16-percent jump.

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