ST. LOUIS - A fifth person was the victim of an armed robbery in the Shaw neighborhood Monday night.
The victim, a 28-year-old man, was getting out of his car on the 3900 block of Shenandoah at around 7:20 when three men approached him. One of them pulled out a gun and the victim dropped his keys. The three suspects got into the car, a 2017 Chrysler 300 with Texas plates, and drove off.
This comes less than a week after four woman were robbed at gunpoint in the same neighborhood.
On Monday, police and FBI investigators said they were investigating a rash of armed robberies of women in the Shaw neighborhood.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, four women were robbed at gunpoint in three days last week.
The first incident happened on Thursday in the 3800 block of Botanical Avenue. Police said a 22-year-old woman was getting out her car just before 8 p.m. when an armed 19-year-old man demanded her property and keys. She handed her property over and the man drove off in her car.
The suspect was taken into custody the next day in the 5800 block of Terry and the car was recovered.
Two women were robbed on Friday. The first happened at around 4:20 on the 4200 block of Shenandoah Avenue. Police said a 32-year-old woman parked her car and began walking to a house at around 4:20 Friday afternoon where she was confronted by two male suspects.
One of the men showed a gun and demanded her backpack and keys. She handed them over and the suspects got into her gray Honda Accord and drove off. No arrests have been made in this incident and the car has not been recovered.
About seven hours after the first robbery, a second woman was victimized on the 4000 block of Cleveland Avenue.
Police said a 38-year-old woman was in her car when a maroon Pontiac Grand Am pulled in front of her, keeping her from driving off. Two male suspects got out of the car armed with a gun and demanded her property and car keys.
She complied, and both suspects got into the car and drove off.
The car was spotted about 30 minutes and pursued by police until the car crashed. A 16-year-old boy was taken into custody, but the other suspect got away. The boy was turned over to juvenile custody.
The final incident happened on the same block of Cleveland a day later. Police said a 23-year-old woman was getting out of her car at around 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 when a man asked to use her cell phone. After she handed him her phone, a second man armed with a gun demanded her car keys. She screamed, and the man hit her in the face with the gun, took the cell phone and both men ran off.
No arrests have been made in this incident.
Police said they believe the incidents on Shenandoah and Cleveland are related. They are working with the FBI to investigate the cases.
Police are asking residents to be aware of their surroundings especially when exiting a vehicle.
This comes days before the nearby Botanical Garden is readying for their annual Garden Glow event. A spokeswoman for the Botanical Garden said they are not changing anything from last year.
She said they always have more security for events and encourage people to park in their parking lots.
