The cases don't appear to be related, based on the the sheriff's office report.
Captain James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said the incidents occurred at the Robinson Rancheria Recycle Center in Clearlake Oaks and Hardester’s Market in Middletown.
The robbery at the recycle center was reported at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Bauman.
He said when deputies arrived on scene they learned that the recycle center, located on Foothill Boulevard and Acorn Street, had been robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash.
The center's operator told deputies he was sitting in the back of his truck counting the day’s earnings when a young black male approached him and pulled up his shirt, exposing what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband. Bauman said the suspect then allegedly told the operator to give him the money.
The operator handed over the money and the suspect fled the scene on foot, said Bauman. The man was last seen heading eastbound on Foothill Boulevard. The victim was not injured during the encounter.
The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male adult with light-colored dreadlocks, who is between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet in height, said Bauman. The alleged robber was last seen wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt, a black T-shirt, blue denim pants and a black watch cap with a black Oakland Raiders bandana over it.
Bauman said detectives are working on leads to identify the man.
Then on Wednesday at about 9:15 p.m., deputies responded to a 911 hangup call at Hardester’s Market on Calistoga St. in Middletown, Bauman said.
When deputies arrived at the scene they learned that a store employee had confronted three male subjects exiting the back of the store, who were each carrying a case of beer, according to Bauman.
When the employee confronted the three subjects, all of them dropped the beer they had allegedly stolen, Bauman said. But when the employee tried to physically detain one of them, another one of the suspects pulled out a knife and threatened him.
When the employee backed off, the three suspect fled the area on foot, heading southbound on Washington Street, Bauman said. The employee wasn't injured in the confrontation.
Sheriff's deputies combed the area and found a juvenile who Bauman said matched the description of the suspect with the knife.
The store employee positively identified the juvenile, who deputies subsequently arrested on charges of felony second degree robbery and felony assault with a deadly weapon, said Bauman.
The case, Bauman added, is pending further investigation and identification of the two remaining suspects.
Anyone with information on either of the two robbery cases is asked to call the Sheriff's Investigations Office at 262-4200.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com.
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