Cigarette bandits strike again

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has another cigarette robbery to investigate.

A Sheriff's Office report said around 3:19 a.m., Aug. 5, two males robbed the gas station convenience store at 8604 State Road 70 E., Bradenton, of cigarettes.

The nighttime clerk told deputies two males entered the store and attempted to distract him by asking to see miscellaneous items behind the counter. The clerk refused to move and the suspects left the store only to return a few seconds later, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

At that point, the suspects rushed back into the store and told the clerk they had a gun. One suspect watched the clerk, while the second suspect went behind the counter with a large black plastic bag and stole an unknown amount of cigarettes. 

The clerk told authorities he did not see a gun. 

The Wawa gas station at 14510 State Road 70, in Lakewood Ranch, was robbed of cigarettes July 25. (Read more here.)

Anyone with information on either case is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at 747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.