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Police seek tips on Medford robbers By MARK FREEMAN Police have made a top priority of finding and capturing two suspects who recently robbed Medford businesses at gunpoint, and they hope to corral them before future robberies turn violent. The Medford Police Department has issued pleas for help in finding the person or people behind armed robberies at a West Medford market Thursday evening and a downtown Medford motel Saturday afternoon. No one was hurt in either robbery, during which undisclosed amounts of cash were taken. Police have said their haul was light. Police do not know who the men are or even if they are working together. But officers are afraid one or both could commit robberies that escalate into violence. "We need to figure out who these people are," Medford police Lt. Tim George said Monday. "They're sticking guns in people's faces and appear to be getting more brazen. "Right now," George said, "it's priority No. 1." At 8:48 p.m. Thursday, a tall and thin white male armed with a silver-colored semi-automatic pistol robbed the Little Market, 523 S. Central Ave. He fled on foot, possibly to a waiting dark-colored Ford Escort or Pinto that drove north on Riverside Avenue and then South on Central Avenue, police said. At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, another thin, white male armed with a pistol -- possibly a revolver -- entered the Knight's Inn at 500 N. Riverside Ave. and demanded cash from the female clerk. That robber fled on foot east toward Bear Creek before disappearing. In Thursday's case, the suspect was described as in his 30s, 5 feet 10 inches tall and 150 pounds, with black hair that was slightly longer in back, a goatee and moustache. He was wearing a red jacket with black stripes on the sleeves. The market's surveillance captured the robbery on film, but the robber's head was partially hidden by the store's cigarette rack. In Saturday's robbery, the suspect was described as in his 40s, 5 feet 10 inches tall and very thin, with a clean-shaven, pockmarked face. He was wearing a dark blue jacket and a dark, faded flannel shirt and blue jeans. "Based on the descriptions, we don't think they're the same suspect, but we're not throwing out the possibility that they're working together," George said. Medford has 40-45 armed robberies a year, yet they tend to come in spurts. A similar spate of market and motel robberies occurred here last summer. They remain unsolved, yet George said he does not believe they are the same suspects because of differing descriptions. The suspects in the recent robberies are likely local because of the location and timing of the robberies, George said. The market and motel hit last week are far away from Interstate 5 off-ramps, George said. Businesses nearer the ramps are more likely targeted by out-of-area robbers than the ones hit last week, he said. And robbers, George said, have a tough time keeping their mouths shut. "I'm convinced there are folks out there who know who's doing these (robberies)," George said. "If they're local, they said something to somebody." George urged anyone with information about the robberies to call investigators at 770-4783. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA