Polk officers look for connections in violent crimes with 4 female victims

Polk County authorities are trying to determine if the same man robbed and abducted three women and stabbed a fourth since December.

The crimes all took place in or near the Crystal Lake area in east Lakeland.

In the latest case, a man armed with a handgun approached a woman at the Hurricane Bay Car Wash at 911 Combee Road around 8:15 a.m. Monday, sheriff's deputies said.

"He demanded money from her, and that wasn't good enough for him, so he forced her into her vehicle and made her drive around," sheriff's Capt. Jim Elensky said.

The robber forced the woman to drive to her bank and withdraw money from the ATM. He also insisted she go through the drive-thru teller line to withdraw even more cash, according to investigators. After that, the bandit demanded the woman drive him back to an area near the Crystal Lake Townhomes which are not far from the original crime scene.

"We're very concerned. We have to get this guy off the streets," Elensky said.

Sheriff's officials say the Hurricane Bay robbery is eerily similar to an April 25 armed robbery outside Southeastern University that Lakeland police are investigating.

In that case, an armed man approached a female employee as she parked her car around 6:30 a.m.

"The similarities are there, same situation, early in the day on that particular case, went to a bank, everything's the same," Elensky said.

In the Southeastern robbery the thief also demanded to be returned to the Crystal Lake Drive area east of Lakeland.

Elensky said there is no doubt in his mind the Hurricane Bay robbery and the Southeastern University robbery were committed by the same man. He's still trying to determine if two other Lakeland police cases from December are also connected.

According to a Lakeland police report, on Dec. 17, a knife-wielding man forced a woman into her car outside Radiology Imaging on Crystal Grove Drive. The robber forced the victim to drive to a bank and withdraw money from the ATM then return the suspect to the Crystal Grove area.

Eleven days later, a female employee of Summit Consulting, which is just across the street from Radiology Imaging, was approached by a knife-toting robber who forced her into her car then stabbed her. Authorities say that suspect took off when he saw another person in the parking lot.

Law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information about any of the armed robberies to call Heartland Crimestoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). The call can be anonymous, and you could be eligible for a cash reward.

The suspect in the car wash robbery is described as black, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build and short hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black baggy jean shorts.