Wauwatosa police say strong-arm robberies may be linked

Two strong-arm robberies happened within 15 minutes and five blocks of each other in or near the Village of Wauwatosa on Oct. 17.

Police believe there may be a connection between the two.

According to a Wauwatosa police report:

The first robbery took place at the 6800 block of West State Street at 8:30 p.m. A woman was leaving the Outpost, walking down the road, when two suspects stopped her and said they wanted her money for food and pointed to their jacket pocket, saying they had a gun. The victim ran away, stopping at the strip mall on the corner of 68th and State streets.

The second robbery took place in the 7700 block of Harwood Avenue at 8:45 p.m. A woman was leaving Café Hollander when she noticed a white male, average build, following her as she left for her vehicle. She thought nothing of it, assuming he was an employee ending his shift. Her assumptions ended when the man tried taking her purse.

She tried to stop him but was knocked down after a brief struggle. The man ran away with her purse and its contents, including her driver's license, Social Security card, cellphone, wallet and credit cards. The woman couldn't give a detailed description of the suspect, but said that he was "a nice looking kid."