by George P. Hassett

Police are looking for a white, heavyset male who they say committed four armed robberies in less than five hours Monday night. The robbery spree was part of a day in which six armed robberies or attempted armed robberies were committed in Somerville, said Capt. Paul Upton.

“The robbery detectives are up to their eyeballs in work,” Upton said.

The day of theft began at 3:30 p.m. when a man walked into Shaw’s Supermarket in Twin Cities Plaza and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

At 5:00 p.m. the Dunkin Donuts at Somerville Avenue and Central Street was hit, possibly by the same individual, police said. Just fifteen minutes later the Union Square Food Market at 18 Bow St. was robbed, allegedly by the same heavyset man who committed the previous crimes.

Despite a long day of crime, police said the heavyset man was still not done.

At 8:00 p.m. he tried to rip off the Walgreen’s at 16 Beacon St. but left before he could finish the job, police said.

Police said the heavyset man could be using a taxicab to make his getaways. 

The two other armed robberies Monday were not believed to be related to the heavyset man‚Äôs illegal escapades, police said. At approximately 6:15 p.m., two men used a knife to frighten victims at a convenience store and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Five minutes later, there was an attempted armed robbery at the Dunkin Donuts in Davis Square, police said.   

Police said the man who may be responsible for four of the six armed robberies reaches into his pocket to convince victims he has
a weapon.