Man or men sought in two armed robberies in Merced

Police are searching for those responsible for two armed robberies over the weekend in Merced.

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility the same man may have committed both robberies, Sgt. Scott Skinner told the Sun-Star.

“We don’t have any evidence linking them, but we’re definitely still looking into that possibility,” Skinner said.

The most recent incident was reported about 9:45 p.m. Sunday when a man with a gun took an undisclosed amount of money from Me N’ Ed’s Pizzeria, 3524 G St. in the Yosemite North Shopping Plaza, Sgt. Jay Struble said.

There were no injuries and no reports of shots fired, Struble said.

Investigators said it was not clear how the man got into the store at the time, as the restaurant had been closed for about 45 minutes.

“We do know it was from inside the store; not from a driver, but we’re still (investigating) where the money was in the store when he took it,” Struble said.

Police said the man was wearing a hooded sweat shirt. Officers were working to get a complete description of the robber late Sunday.

One day earlier, police said, a masked man robbed a Valero gasoline station on East Childs Avenue.

The incident was reported just before 6 a.m. Saturday, officers said in a news release.

Police said a man wearing gloves and a mask walked into the store, displayed a handgun and demanded money from the cash register.

After getting the money, the armed robber ran from the gas station toward the Motel 6 on Childs Avenue. No one in the store was injured.

Officers are reviewing surveillance videos from the area as part of both investigations.

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Man or men sought in two armed robberies in Merced."