Auto, Home Burglaries Investigated

The following incidents were among those investigated by Tampa Police District 2 between Feb. 11 and 16:

Feb. 11

• Tampa Police arrested three men in connection with an armed robbery at 9:38 p.m. outside the North Boulevard Laundromat at 8925 N. Boulevard. The weapon used in the robbery turned out to be a BB air pistol.
• Between 2 and 4 p.m., someone smashed in a passenger-side window of a Hyundai sedan parked at 5701 N. Florida Ave. and stole a purse left on the seat.
• At about 11 p.m., Tampa Police say someone took a Garmin GPS, a 64-gig iPod and an 8-gig iPod and an undisclosed amount of cash from an unlocked van parked at 500 E. Paris.
• A residential burglary was reported to have occurred sometime between Feb. 9 and 11 at the 1300 block of North Norfolk Street. The burglar smashed through two rear windows, but was not able to get inside. Blood was located on the window and inside the blinds on the door.

Feb. 15

• Shortly after 11 a.m., someone shattered a rear window of a home on the 5700 block of N. 9th Street, then climbed atop the air conditioning unit, went inside and stole a Blackberry phone that was inoperative. The break-in triggered the home's alarm system, but the burglar was gone before police arrived.
• Someone forced open the driver's side door lock of a car parked at Seminole Heights Elementary School, 6201 N. Central Ave., between 7:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Nothing was taken.

Feb. 16

• A burglary was reported at 100 W. Fern St.  Tampa Police said that between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., someone entered the home by breaking the front door glass. A men's silver ring and $7 in change were stolen.
• Tampa Police are investigating a robbery at 1800 E. Busch Blvd. One suspect approached the victim in the parking lot and pistol whipped him, Tampa Police said. The second suspect then took the victim's back pack from his truck. As both suspects ran away, the backpack was dropped in the middle of the road.