Man robbed 3 Fall River stores within 30 minutes, police say

A man is facing criminal charges after police say he robbed three Fall River stores within 30 minutes on Thursday.

William Bruce, 45, of Fall River, was arrested on charges including armed robbery and two counts of unarmed robbery, according to the Fall River Police Department.

Police say Bruce first entered the Maplewood Mini Mart on Stafford Road around 10:08 a.m. and was able to make off with money from the cash register

Around 10:18 a.m., Bruce told a clerk at the County Convenience on County Street that he was robbing the store but got spooked and fled when the clerk “alerted a third party,” according to police.

Ten minutes later, at 10:28 a.m., police say Bruce walked into the Family Dollar on Stafford Road and asked for all the money in the cashier’s drawer.

“When asked to clarify his statement, the suspect indicated he just wanted to see her reaction and he left the business,” the department said in a statement.

Officers subsequently caught Bruce driving a minivan in the area of Huard and Albert streets and took him into custody.

It wasn’t immediately clear when Bruce would be called to court.

An investigation is ongoing.

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