Pinellas County Sheriff deputies are looking for the man they believe may be the same suspect in an attempted armed robbery and an armed carjacking.
Deputies said the crimes are related since the two incidents happened less than one block apart in a little more than two hours time.
The incidents happened less than one block apart from each other near the intersection of 46th Avenue North and 38th Street North in Lealman.
The first incident at 6:30 p.m. Thursday involved a woman walking down the street when all of a sudden a suspect approached her from behind, implying he had a gun, and demanded her money.
Deputies say the victim took out her phone and that’s when the suspect took off.
Then at around 8:45 p.m. Thursday, the second incident took place at Oley’s Food Mart where deputies said it became very violent and all of it was caught on surveillance video.
The surveillance video shows the victim pulling into Oley’s and going into the store. Two minutes later she comes out and gets in her and then from out of nowhere, a suspect can be seen running to the vehicle.
That’s when, deputies said, the suspect began yelling at the victim and then hit her in the face with what deputies said appears to be a handgun.
The suspect can then be seen in the video taking off in her car while the victim runs back inside the store.
"I told to stand over there because she was really scared and later she told me she was hit with a gun, over here, on her face, that's it, and then I called the cops," said “E,” an Oley’s clerk who asked us not to use his full name. Adding, “She was really shook up. She was crying all the time."
Deputies are not only searching for the suspect but they’re also looking for that carjacked vehicle. It is a silver 4-door Kia Rio with Texas tags.
If you have any information about these crimes, you’re urged to call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department.