On Tuesday, he was back in Royal Oak when police said he made an attempted armed robbery at Sylvia’s Dry Cleaners, 1407 E. 11 Mile Road., but fled empty-handed.
“In the first armed robbery he demanded money and the clerk complied,” said Royal Oak police Lt. Albert Carter. “In the attempted armed robbery at Sylvian’s Dry Cleaners he implied he had a weapon and demanded money, but the clerk ran away from the counter to a back room and called us.”
Carter said Royal Oak police investigators are working with law enforcement agencies in some other communities where a man has robbed dry cleaners. Carter would not disclose the names of the other cities or how many dry cleaners might have been robbed by the man.
Police showed up at Sylvian’s Dry Cleaners shortly after the employee there called 911 at 12:06 p.m. As in the Martinizing holdup, police brought in K-9 officers and traced a track from the dry cleaners as they searched for the man. Police said the track Tuesday ended at a nearby parking lot. The man is believed to have gotten into a vehicle to get away.
In Tuesday’s attempted armed robbery, police said the man was described as 6-feet tall, 200 pounds, and wore a dark knit hat, a brown zipped up hooded jacket, and a black surgical mask.
Royal Oak police said they believe it is the same man and this week released pictures from surveillance video that they said shows the man walking south on Main Street after the robbery at Martinizing Dry Cleaners.
Carter said police are still looking for surveillance cameras that may have images of the man after Tuesday’s attempted armed robbery.
Police are still seeking tips from anyone who may recognize or know the man. Anyone with information is asked to call Lt. Albert Carter at 248-246-3456.
Related: Royal Oak crime: Armed robbery at dry cleaning store
Related: Royal Oak Dry Cleaners Robbery Suspect Arraigned Wednesday
