According to BSPD Lt. Terry Chamness, the first report came Christmas Day from the Quality Inn in the 300 block of Tulane.

“A male suspect approached the motel clerk wanting a room for the night,” said Chamness. “At that time he produced what appeared to be the barrel of a gun and demanded money. The clerk complied and the suspect made away on foot.”

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male with a full beard, wearing a black beanie hat, a black jacket and blue jeans.

No injuries were reported as a result of the crime, and the assailant made away with an undetermined amount of cash, according to police officials.

The second robbery, according to Chamness, occurred in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven convenience store located on the corner of Owens and Third Street the following day.

“The call came in at about 8 p.m.,” said Chamness. “It's what we call a snatch and grab, where an assailant will simply push the victim and take their purse or wallet. In this case, the victim was a 26-year-old female. The suspect pushed her down and made off with her purse, which contained her driver's license, bank cards and other items.”

Chamness said the woman escaped the encounter with only minor injuries, but because the purse snatcher physically attacked her in the course of committing the crime, it's being treated as an aggravated robbery.

“He used bodily force to take her purse. That's what makes it an aggravated robbery,” said Chamness.

The assailant is described as a male, thin in stature, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a ball cap and hoodie jacket.

And while the purse snatcher may have made it from the scene without being arrested, Chamness said his criminal efforts may not have ended there, as a third aggravated robbery was reported Sunday at the Scottish Inn Motel in the 1200 block of Third Street.

“The call came in at approximately 12:40 a.m. Sunday,” said Chamness. “The suspect walked up to the manager and produced what appeared to be the barrel of a pistol, demanding money. He made away with an undetermined amount of cash, fleeing the motel on foot.”

Chamness said the suspect was described as a male, thin in stature, approximately 5 feet 10 inches, wearing a ball cap, a black hoodie and light colored pants.

“It's hard to say if it's the same person committing any of these crimes,” said Chamness. “However, the descriptions would certainly make you think so.”

No arrests have been made in any of the cases, Chamness confirmed.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it