By JOHN M. HOOBER III, Staff
The Wednesday night home-invasion robbery of a 90-year-old New Holland-area woman could be the latest crime committed by armed men who dress themselves in black, police report.
The woman, whose home is in the 400 block of Kurtz Road in Earl Township, surrendered cash to a gunman shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
From the description, police think the gunman could be one of the two men who held up a convenience store in Terre Hill on Tuesday night.
And the Monday robbery of a Subway shop on Route 272 in East Cocalico Township might be the work of the Terre Hill/Earl Township suspects, police said.
The KFC restaurant on Columbia Avenue in East Hempfield Township, was robbed Wednesday night, but that holdup does not appear to be connected to the other robberies — all of which occurred at locations in northeastern Lancaster County.
The 90-year-old, who lives north of Route 322, told New Holland police that a man approached her home after parking his car in her driveway.
"The man knocked on the door and asked if he could borrow oil, which the resident advised she did not have," said Detective Jonathan Heisse.
"The man then asked for money, and told her (the woman) he had his wallet stolen," Heisse said.
The woman gave the man a small amount of cash, but he didn't leave. Police said he forced his way into the home, pulled out a handgun, and demanded more money.
The woman handed over more cash to the robber, who ransacked the woman's home before fleeing with the money and a cordless phone.
The man was last seen driving south on Kurtz Road in a small black car.
The woman was not harmed during the robbery, which appears to be a random act, Heisse said. The suspect possibly chose her home because it is in a rural area populated by Plain-sect residents, police said.
The robber was described as being in his 20s with a dark complexion, dark hair, thin, and about 5-foot-8. He wore all black clothing, which is the same description given of the two men who held up a convenience store in Terre Hill on Tuesday night.
East Earl Township police said two men who were dressed in black entered the store, in the 300 block of Main Street, at 9:50 p.m. and demanded money from a clerk.
When the clerk refused to open the register, the suspects physically removed the cash box portion of the register, Office Daniel Nipper reported.
One suspect displayed a black semi-automatic handgun during the holdup, Nipper said.
A witness was struck in the face, but did not require medical assistance, police added.
The robbers were both males about 20 to 25 years old who wore black pants, black long-sleeved shirts, black gloves and black rags on their faces, police said. They fled in a dark-colored sedan that had a partial Pennsylvania license plate of GLG.
At about 7 p.m. Monday, a bandit held up the Subway store at 2350 N. Reading Road (Route 272) Denver, which is in a shopping plaza north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The robber held a screwdriver at a female clerk and stole money from the register, East Cocalico Township police said. He fled in a car which, police said, matched the description of the getaway car in the Terre Hill holdup.
There also was a similar recent robbery of a Subway store in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, East Cocalico Township police noted.
Just west of Lancaster, a gunman held up the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) restaurant at 1633 Columbia Ave. at 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, East Hempfield Township police said.
The suspect entered the restaurant holding a handgun and left with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.
No injuries were reported.
Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call New Holland police at 354-4647, East Earl Township police at 355-5302, East Cocalico Township police at 336-1725, and East Hempfield Township police at 898-3603.
Tipsters also can call Lancaster City/County CrimeStoppers at 1-800-322-1913.
Staff writer John M. Hoober III can be reached at jhoober@LNPnews.com or 481-6027.
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