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Robbers Hit Several 7-Elevens In Montbello

DENVER (CBS4) - Police are seeking a group of armed thieves with sloppy technique but warn the suspects could become more inclined to use violence as they rob more stores and gain confidence.

Denver police say up to three men have held up several stores -- mostly 7-Elevens in Denver's Montbello neighborhood -- in the last month and a half.

In a liquor store robbery, the thieves seemed inexperienced. Employee Kristal Huerta thought they were so nervous they might accidentally fire their weapons if something went wrong.

"I was afraid if they were startled by me walking up or anything they could shoot," Huerta said.

The thieves' 30-second robbery was clumsy. Video surveillance footage showed a second suspect allowing a customer to walk out the business' door. Moments later, a new group of customers walked in. One of them, on a cell phone, notices the robbery happening and leaves without interrupting his call.

The suspects left with only a few hundred dollars.

"Of all the things that were in the store, they took blunt wraps and stuff like that," police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. "To me it seems like a very young thing to do."

Police describe the suspects as black men in their late teens or early 20s who wore white gloves. One suspect's sweatshirt had distinctive patches on its sleeves.

The group has robbed seven stores in Montbello -- nearly every 7-Eleven convenience store in the area. The robbers haven't hit the same store twice, police said.

"You could rationalize that they're comfortable with the layout," Jackson said. "The stores are all pretty much the same. We won't know until we get them in custody. "

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