Fort Worth police are on the hunt for a machete-wielding robbery suspect who allegedly hit the same local business twice in December.
A smoke shop in the 6700 block of Crowley Road was reportedly robbed for the second time by the same suspect at around 2:30 a.m. on December 24. The hooded robber allegedly threatened the clerk with a machete and then fled the scene with a plastic bag full of cash and cigarettes.
This was a replay of a similar scene presumably involving the same suspect on December 18, an employee told Fox 4 KDFW. The shop already had its cash register stolen back in November in a separate incident.
The authorities released video footage of the Christmas Eve robbery in hopes of identifying the suspect.
“If this suspect is continuing to do these types of incidents, or robberies, you know, we don’t want anybody to get hurt. So please watch the video. If you know who he is, call us,” said Officer Daniel Segura.
“It’s not very common [to use a machete], but it’s a very dangerous weapon or item to have,” Segura added. “You can see his movements, the way he’s holding it. And that’s why it is important for us to capture the suspect.”
As seen in the video, the suspect, clad in black sweatpants and a black hoodie, enters the shop and brandishes a machete over his head. He points it several times at the clerk behind the cash register, who complies with his demands.
The clerk was not injured during the robbery.
“Anytime you are presented with a weapon of this caliber, you know your life is in danger. So the cashier, the employee, he did whatever it was best to save his life,” said Segura.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Fort Worth detectives at 817-392-4377.
Fort Worth police recently released figures attesting to a decrease of 4% in property crime and a 21.7% drop in homicides in the first nine months of this year, as reported in The Dallas Express. Police Chief Neil Noakes and city authorities aim to continue these downward trends into 2024 by encouraging more community-based initiatives and neighborhood policing.
While Cowtown logged 353 robberies over this period, Dallas clocked 1,791 offenses, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
Studies by the Metroplex Civic & Business Association show that Downtown Dallas also sees considerably higher rates of reported theft, assault, and motor vehicle theft compared to Fort Worth’s downtown area. The latter is patrolled by a specialized police unit working alongside private security guards.
For its part, the Dallas Police Department has made strides to curb violent crime but has been laboring under a significant staffing shortage. Despite a City report recommending a force of 4,000 officers to serve the City’s security needs adequately, DPD fields approximately 3,000.
