Apologetic thug sought in two pre-dawn robberies

Find out why officials think the same, middle-aged man committed these two crimes, just minutes apart, in East Portland …

All Adult Video, here on SE Division Street was the first stop for the “Daybreak Robber”, police say.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Clerks at two different East Portland businesses are still on edge, after they were both held up, before dawn, on September 8.

And, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Detectives aren’t saying whether or not they believe it was same man who held up both a 24-hour adult store and a sandwich shop, a couple of miles apart.

“The first robbery took place at All Adult Video, 10660 SE Division Street, at 4:00 a.m.,” reported PPB spokesman Sergeant Pete Simpson. “The suspect implied a gun, and got an undisclosed amount of money from the clerk.”

The suspect left on foot, Simpson added, in an unknown direction.

Hungry for more than a good meal, a robber demanded money – and the tip box – from this Subway shop.

About 20 minutes later, a robber hit the Subway store on SE Foster Road at SE 51^st Avenue, Simpson said. Again, the suspect implied that they had a gun, and got away an undisclosed amount of money from the clerk, before leaving on foot, on SE 52^nd Avenue.

According to an unofficial report, the worker at the Subway store said that the suspect was homeless and had hungry kids. The suspect, while implying he had a weapon and demanded money, told the worker he regretted his actions. Then, the suspect was said to have swiped the store’s “tip box” before heading out the door.

Officially, the bureau isn’t releasing a description of the suspect, Simpson noted. But, according to media reports, the robbery suspect has been described as a 40-year-old man wearing a blue sweatshirt and baggy pants.

Did you see anything odd when these two crimes took place? If so, call and report the suspicious activity via the Portland Police Bureau’s non-emergency number: (503) 823-3333.

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