The armed robber, who is suspected of two armed robberies last week on Brownswitch Road and Robert Boulevard in Slidell, is also suspected for the robbery of the Blockbuster Video store at the corner of Gause Boulevard and Military Road Wednesday afternoon.

Because the robbery took place outside Slidell city limits, it is being investigated by the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office.

According to Sheriff Jack Strain, the suspect entered the video store, produced a black semiautomatic handgun with a laser sight and demanded money from the clerk. He got away with an undisclosed amount of money. Both the Sheriff’s Office and the Slidell Police Department believe the suspect is the same person who robbed the ABC Uniform Store on Robert Boulevard on May 7, and the Subway sandwich shop on Brownswitch Road May 11.

The man has been described as between 5-foot 10-inches and 6-foot tall, in his thirties, with a medium to husky build. However, in the Blockbuster robbery, the suspect is sporting a blackened left eye. Strain said he does not know how or when the robber got the black eye, because in the first two robberies, the man was wearing sunglasses.

“We want to emphasis the back eye,” Strain said. “We’re hoping that whoever gave him the black eye will call us.”

In all three robberies, the suspect threatened store employees with a black semiautomatic handgun that had a laser sight attached to it.

“We are working with the Slidell Police Department on the assumption this is the same suspect in the other two robberies,” Strain said. “Looking at the surveillance video, we know it is the same person, and in this video, the black eye is prevalent.”

Though no one has been injured in any of the robberies, Strain and Slidell Police Chief Freddy Drennan stressed the suspect is dangerous.

“He seems desperate for money,” Strain said. “He is getting more and more brazen with his robberies, and he seems familiar with weaponry.”

He added that he does not want any one to take chances with the man. If they are robbed, they should follow the man’s instructions and call the police or Sheriff’s Office after he has left.

When asked for motive, Strain said he did not want to point at any one cause, but said the current downturn in the economy might be a factor.

“It is the sign of the times,” Strain said.

This is the seventh armed robbery in the Slidell area since May 7.

Anybody who has any information on any of the three robberies can call the Sheriff’s Office at 898-2338, the Slidell Police Detective Division at 646-4347, or CrimeStoppers at 1-877-903-7867.