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Since just before midnight on Saturday, Salinas police detectives have been swamped with investigations relating to five armed robberies all over the city.

Four of the reports were robberies of a person, while the fifth was the armed robbery of a Quik Stop on Clark Street near Davis Road. That robbery occurred about 1:30am on Monday when a suspect, thought to be a customer, drew a silver, semi-automatic handgun, pointed it at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk opened the register and told the suspect, an early-20s Hispanic male, to take the money. The suspect racked the gun and told the clerk to hand them the money. The suspect left and was last seen running south along Clark.

This is the second armed robbery of Quik Stop in one week.

“We are putting the word out for people to be careful,” says Salinas Police Commander Dave Shaw. “I think one of the biggest issues is situational and environmental awareness.”

Shaw says despite the recent spate of robberies, Salinas police will not have more officers out on the street.

“We don’t have the personnel or financial resources to be out there,” he says.

Three of the armed robberies of people occurred between 11:30pm on Saturday and 1:30am on Sunday. The suspects in those three incidences have been described as two Hispanic males, dressed in dark clothing, brandishing handguns. Salinas Police did not confirm if the suspects were the same in all three robberies.

In all three instances, the suspects approached the victims, demanding money.

The fourth robbery occurred on Monday morning at 6:48am when a 47-year-old man was walking to his car in the apartment complex at 2073 Santa Rita St. when he was approached by two suspects, one with a silver revolver, who demanded his wallet. The victim gave up his wallet.