SHOREHAM / BRANDON — Police are investigating armed robberies in Shoreham and Brandon this past weekend, where stores captured images of the assailant wearing the same sweatshirt at both crime scenes.

The first robbery took place Saturday morning, Aug. 21, at the Shoreham Service Center (Maplefields) at the corner of Routes 22A and 74 East in Shoreham.

State police report that a man spent several minutes shopping in the store at around 5:45 a.m. He went to the counter to purchase a bottled beverage, coffee, and other items and he requested cigarettes from the clerk. Then he displayed a knife and demanded the clerk hand over money from the cash drawer. No one was injured.

Police described the man as approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall with short brown hair wearing a black sweatshirt with the word “OLD ORCHARD” across the front, green pants, dark colored baseball hat with gold/yellow brim, and camouflaged / gaiter style mask. He fled the store with a coffee, and two packets of cigarettes. Store surveillance cameras captured video of the man.

Anyone with information that may be relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the Vermont State Police in Rutland at 802-773-9101. Tips also may be submitted anonymously online at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

No further information is available. Updates will be provided as the investigation continues.

The very next morning, at around 8:50 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22, a man wearing a mask walked into the Union Street Grocery on Union Street in Brandon, brandished a knife, and demanded money from the cash register. Surveillance video shows the man wearing a black sweatshirt that bore the same words as the one in the Shoreham robbery: OLD ORCHARD.

A customer who had just left the store chased the suspect to the area of Rossiter and Church streets. The suspect jumped into a getaway vehicle that was driven by a female, and they fled the area. The vehicle was a gray Pontiac Vibe, Vermont plate HHA705.

Brandon police said they have several leads in the case. Police are asking anyone who believes they have information about this case or similar robberies, to call them at 247-0222.