Police: String of Culver's, Best Buy robberies all appear related

Police have also said the restaurant robberies and attempted robberies appear to be linked to an armed robbery at a Best Buy store in Janesville on Monday night.

The Beloit attempted robbery occurred on Oct. 26 at the restaurant at 2676 Cranston Road. No one was injured. The suspect was described as being a white male with dark hair driving a maroon four-door Jeep Wrangler Sahara.

On Oct. 6, a similar incident was reported at a Culver’s at 2633 Milton Ave., Janesville. Another incident was reported in Mequon on Oct. 10 and in Lake Mills on Sept. 26. In some of the incidents, employees quickly closed the window while in other instances the robber received money.

Best Buy

Meanwhile, police say it appears the same man held up a Janesville Best buy employee at gunpoint on Monday. He stole a pair of MacBook laptop computers, police said in a Wisconsin Crime Alert Network release.

According to the release, a white man wearing a blue Golden State Warriors hoodie sweatshirt entered the store at 2850 Deerfield Drive in Janesville shortly after 5 p.m. Monday.

He asked a store employee for two MacBooks, and when the employee brought the merchandise, the man displayed a black handgun he was carrying in the front sweatshirt pocket.

Police said the suspect told the worker to give him the laptops and to look down as he walked out of the store. The suspect got into a red Jeep Wrangler and was last seen driving westbound on Highway 14 (Humes Road) toward Interstate 90/39.

Anyone with information about the Best Buy incident should call the Janesville Police Department at 608-755-3100 or email foxj@ci.janesville.wi.us.

Anyone with information about the robbery attempt in Beloit is asked to contact Detective Joshua Buroker or submit a tip through the Greater Beloit Area CrimeStoppers website at gbacrimestoppers.com. Tips also can be submitted at p3tips.com.