Armed Robbers Wanted in Three Hits in 10 Days

Dressed head-to-toe in black and armed with a rifle and handgun, the robbers reportedly first struck March 28. On that date, the pair attempted to rob the Liberty Tax Service, 10827 Bloomingdale Ave., according to deputies. One suspect knocked at the back door but could not get in while another was observed with what appeared to be a rifle or shotgun. 

Leslie Blazer, the office manager at Liberty, was the only one in the office when the robbers came in through the back door at about 8:30 p.m.

“They just kept telling me, ‘Don’t move. Don’t move,’ but I had my hands in the air the whole time.”The robbers didn’t come up with much in their first robbery.

“There was only 7 cents in the cash drawer. Tax offices generally don’t have much cash on hand,” Blazer said.

It’s the first time Blazer has been robbed. “I was OK during the robbery, It was after it that the shaking started.”

The business has installed new security measures as a result of the incident.

The most recent robbery occurred April 7 when the suspects held up, 1513 Brandon Blvd. W. According to a report, the pair hid inside an employee’s vehicle, confronting him after he locked up the restaurant for the night. The robbers then forced the employee to open the restaurant where they took cash from the business.

The men are also believed responsible for the  of a  during the early morning hours of April 2. According to a sheriff’s office report, they ordered the four employees at the restaurant, 1402 W. Brandon Blvd., into a storage room before taking money from the registers and the employees just before 7 a.m. 

 The report further noted descriptions for the two suspects:

Suspect One — Male, 5 foot 7 inches, 180 pounds, between the ages 18 and 21.  Thin build, brown eyes, was wearing a black ski mask, black leather jacket, black gloves, dark pants and black shoes. He was armed with a handgun.

Suspect Two —Male, 5 foot 11 inches, 180 pounds, between the ages 22 and 29. Thin build, brown eyes, was wearing a black ski mask, long-sleeved black shirt, black glove on left hand, black tennis shoes and black jean pants with a white design on the right thigh and right rear-pocket area. He was armed with a bolt-action rifle.

Anyone with information about the identities or whereabouts of the suspects should call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online atwww.crimestopperstb.com or text "CSTB plus your tip" to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).