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An alleged Wahiawa robber with a fondness for sports drinks has been charged with robbing or trying to rob three Kalihi convenience stores early Monday morning.
Leslie Michael Alberts, 40, of Laniloa Place, was charged Tuesday with two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of fourth-degree theft. He is being held at the main police cellblock on $25,000 bail.
Police said Alberts entered a Kalihi convenience store at 1:20 a.m. holding a sports drink over his head and threatened to hit the 48-year-old cashier with the drink if she didn’t open the register.
The cashier refused and the man allegedly fled without paying for the sports drink.
The suspect allegedly went to another Kalihi convenience store and approached the counter pretending to buy another sports drink. When the 65-year-old cashier opened the register, the suspect reached in and grabbed cash, police said. When she tried to close the register, the man allegedly shoved the cashier backwards and fled with an undisclosed amount of money.
The man then went to a third convenience store at about 3:10 a.m. and again approached a cashier with a sports drink, police said. When the 55-year-old woman opened the register, the suspect allegedly reached inside, grabbed cash and fled with an undisclosed amount of money in a red car.
Police said officers stopped a car matching the description at 414 N. King St. and connected the man to the convenience store robberies and theft. He was arrested at 5:50 a.m.
