By Victoria Stone-Meadows
Robbers armed in baseball bats have stolen from two convenience stores on the same day in attacks police believe to be linked.
The first robbery was at an independent milk bar on Hinrichsen Drive in Hallam, about 3.20pm on Friday 10 February.
Who men with their faces covered entered the store with baseball bats and demanded the attendant hand over cash and cigarettes.
The shop attendant complied with their demands before the men left the store and ran west along Buckeye Street, and witnesses reported seeing them run across a footbridge to Springfield Drive.
At 6pm the same day, the Fleetwood Convenience Store on Fleetwood Drive in Narre Warren was also robbed by two men with baseball bats and face coverings.
This time however, the store attendant was hit with a baseball bat and suffered bruising to his torso.
In similar circumstances to the previous robbery, cash and cigarettes were stolen from the store before the men fled the shop on foot.
This time the men ran north-east along Darling Way where they got into a dark coloured Holden and continued to drive north-east along Darling Way.
The men were both dressed all in black with black caps and bandanas covering their faces.
One of the men was wearing red gloves and the other grey gloves and both were wearing white sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding these robberies is asked to contact the Narre Warren Crime Investigation Unit’s Detective Senior Constable Andrew Walker on 9705 3111.
