Police: Armed robber asks victims for time before hold-ups

Police are investigating a series of recent armed robberies downtown, in which the suspect first stops people to ask them what time it is, the robs them at gunpoint.

After the man approaches the victims, he displays a black handgun and demands cellphones and cash, police said in a community alert.

Two of the robberies happened Saturday, first at 6:48 p.m. in the 100 block of North Beaubien; then about half an hour later in the 300 block of East South Water, police said.

A third robbery happened at 10:31 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of South State, police said.

The suspect is described as a black male 16-22, about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-10, and between 130 and 170 pounds, the alert said. He was wearing a black skull cap, and either a dark blue puffy coat or gray and blue jacket over hooded sweat shirt.