Duct-tape Robbers Hit Third Store

Staff report
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--The third robbery in four days where customers or clerks were duct-taped by a silver handgun wielding pair of suspects took place Wednesday night—this time the thieves robbed Tavares Variety on Warren Avenue.
According to one of the victims--who is also an owner who did not want to be identified--said two light-skinned males she described as short, about 5'5 and wearing hoodies or dark masks came in the front door and duct-taped the hands of her 21-year-old son who was in one of the aisles.
The men then went to the front of the store and pointed a silver gun at her and made their way behind the counter and stole cash and then ran out the side door toward the back of the building toward Packard Way.
"They were small, very small, little--I thought it was maybe kids playing around. I heard them come in and make noise and then saw my son being taped and then one pointed a gun at me and then came behind the counter and looked around and took money and then ran out,” she said.
She said robbers spoke broken English.
It is the third robbery this week where clerks or customers were duct-taped during a robbery. It is unclear if any of the heists have been committed by the same two men.
Police could not be reached for comment.
The first robberies took place Sunday about six hours apart. One was at Bud’s Variety at 916 Warren Avenue at about 9:40 a.m. when two light-skinned males who spoke Spanish brandished a silver handgun and duct-taped a customer and clerk. The thieves took $300 and the clerk’s wallet.
Later that same day around 6 p.m. Van's Asian Market at 300 North Montello Street was also robbed when two males speaking Spanish and waving a silver handgun walked in wearing masks duct-taped a clerk’s friend and took all the cash and other items in the store.
Tony Fonseca, who not only owns the building that houses Tavares Grocery, but also owns CJ Beer & Wine adjacent, said he was robbed last February.
"I was closing the store and had my back turned away from the front door and somebody came in and started to hit the back of my head and I turned around and they cut my upper lip with a gun,” he said. “I could put my finger threw the hole in my upper lip," he said as he pointed out the scar.
Fonseca said those robbers were four black males and the one with the gun had a hood on and the other three did not.
"They stole my cell phone and my wallet, keys and cash from the register," he said. "I am sick and tired of this, it has to stop, people are getting robbed during the day. I even have had the gutters of my building stolen, this is crazy, we need to take the streets back," Fonseca said.
Click here for BrocktonPost's story about the first robberies on Sunday...