Police investigate early-morning robberies at Halifax hotel, gas station

Halifax Regional Police is investigatingtwo robberies that occurred inHalifax early Sunday.

Police saythey were called to the Hampton Inn and Suites on Brunswick Street at 12:40 a.m. They say a suspect threatened staff with a "large edged weapon," but no one was hurt.

The suspect is described as awhite man between 40 and 50 years old with a medium build. He is about five-foot-five.

He was seen wearing a black sweater with white lettering on the front, a blue hoodie underneath with the hood up and black Nike knee-length shorts, black sneakers, black face mask and gloves.

Police saythe suspect took cash from the drawer and was last seen leaving in a dark-coloured vehicle driving southbound on Brunswick Street.

Robbery at gas station

Police also responded to a robberyatthe Esso Service Station on Chebucto Road at 6:40 a.m.

They say a man entered the gas station and threatened the only employee with a knife. The employee was not injured.

The suspect left the station with cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of moneywhich were placedin a box he was carrying.

He then got into the passenger side of a black four-door Ford Focus which drove away.

The suspect is described as a white man between 40 and 50 years old with grey hair. He is about five-foot-five and weighs about 165-175 pounds.

He was wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up, a black mask, black sunglasses, blue shorts with black stripes and a white Nike logo, black high-top sneakers and white socks.

Police said the driver of the vehicle is described as a younger white man with a beard who was wearing a dark ball cap.

It's unclear if the robberies are connected.

"The suspect in both incidents have similar descriptions and the investigators will try and determine if it is the same suspect,"a spokesperson with the Halifax police said in an emailed statement. "But as of now we can't say definitively that they are the same suspect."

Police askanyone with information about either incident to call 902-490-5016.Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477.