The Carroll County armed-robbery count continued to rise in the final days of 2009, when two men allegedly robbed the Tienda Centro America store in Carrollton. The Dec. 30 incident was the sixth armed robbery in the county, but the first in Carrollton, since the string began on Nov. 20.

However, Capt. Chris Dobbs said he does not believe the Carrollton robbery was related to the others in unincorporated areas of the county or another in Villa Rica.

“I think this one is isolated,” Dobbs said. “I don’t think it’s tied to the [others].”

Dobbs said witness statements revealed clear distinctions between the physical appearances of the Dec. 30 suspects and those involved in previous incidents.

“They were two different races,” Dobbs said. “The subjects in the county were described as black males and these subjects were described as Hispanic males.”

Though authorities have followed few leads in the armed robbery cases, Villa Rica police said they hope a new sketch of one of the suspects will generate new evidence.

“The man was described as a black male, late 20s, between 5’9’’ and 6 feet,” Detective Hunter Ethredge said. “He was average to heavy build with scruffy hair on the sides of his face. He was wearing a red baseball cap with a small triangular design on it.”

Ethredge also confirmed the man may have been involved in similar incidents in the area, specifically a Nov. 20 armed robbery.

“We don’t have enough information to make a definite identification, but we do have enough information to look into both,” Ethredge said.

During the armed robbery on Dec. 17, a man entered the Swifty Save at 9600 Conners Road at about 7 p.m. and started to buy a lottery ticket, according to Villa Rica police Capt. Keith Shaddix.

When the man handed the cashier money for the ticket, he allegedly produced a handgun and requested an undisclosed amount of money. The cashier complied, handed over the money and the man fled the scene.

On Nov. 20, a man committed a similar armed robbery when he walked into the Villa Rica Food Center Store at 1701 W. Highway 78 at 8:45 p.m. The man entered with an empty gallon jug and told the cashier he needed to buy a gallon of gasoline. When the cashier opened the register, the man pulled out a gun and demanded money.

Investigators are also looking into a possible connection between the two Carroll County armed robberies and a September Haralson County armed robbery.

“We believe that at least two of the three are related,” Sheriff’s Office Capt. Shane Taylor said. “We are still looking into the third in Haralson County.”

In the most recent armed robbery, Dobbs said two unmasked men walked into the Tienda Centro America Store and browsed through merchandise. When the cashier asked the men if they needed help, they reportedly approached the cash register wearing ski masks. Both men allegedly pointed handguns at the cashier and ordered him to go to the back of the store while they removed an undisclosed amount of money from the register.

The men were described as being in their mid 20s and tall and skinny.

Each of the armed robberies are still under investigation, according to authorities.