PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The China Taste restaurant on Washington Avenue in Portland is the sixth store to be robbed at gunpoint in the greater Portland area in less than a week.
Portland Police said a man with a gun demanded cash from China Taste around 8:30 p.m. Sunday but the thief did not get any money.
Police said the thief got spooked and fled when other employees showed up. The man is described as being a white man about 5’ 5” tall. He was wearing an oversized hooded sweatshirt with a dark green and light green camouflage pattern with the hood pulled over his head.
He was also wearing a dark colored zip up shirt under his outer clothing and had it pulled up so that it was partially covering his face.
This follows five other robberies of stores in the greater Portland area all involving a single man who used a handgun to demand cash and either wore a face mask or partially hid his face.
- SUNDAY - China Taste on Washington Ave, Portland robbed at 8:40 p.m.(March 25)
- SATURDAY - The Daily Grind in Westbrook robbed at 7:50 p.m. (March 24)
- THURSDAY - An Irving Station on Main Street in Cumberland robbed at 8 p.m.(March 22)
- THURSDAY - Good Things Variety on Saco St in Westbrook robbed at 1 p.m. (March 22.)
- WEDNESDAY - Lil' Mart on Route 1 in Falmouth robbed at 8 p.m. (March 21)
- TUESDAY - Riverton Gas Station on Forest Ave robbed at 7:30 p.m. (March 13)
Staff at The New Daily Grind, which was robbed on Saturday morning, told Westbrook Police that a man entered the drive-thru of the coffee shop around 7:50 a.m., pulled out a handgun and threatened the clerk. The clerk store owner said it was his 16-year-old step-daughter who was working the drive-thru when the armed man entered the room and robbed her cash register.
The man, described as a white male wearing dark pants, a dark sweatshirt, and a dark face mask, fled on foot with an undetermined amount of cash.
The New Daily Grind went to Facebook to post about the ordeal:
Police say they are investigating whether or not the robberies are related.
If you have any information about these cases, call the Falmouth Police Department at (207) 781-2300, Portland Police Department at (207) 874-8575, the Westbrook Police Department at (207) 854-0644, or leave an anonymous tip at (207) 591-8117.