(MOBILE, Ala.) In March 2012, Mobile police officer Chad Wynne was seriously wounded in a robbery attempt and shootout at the Midtown Mobile Winn-Dixie grocery store.
Officer Wynne has recovered.
Three men, including a store employee, remain in jail charged with robbery and attempted murder.
Now, Local 15 has learned about another robbery at that same location that took place a few months earlier, with some very curious similarities.
It robbery happened the night of November 23rd, 2011, a little more than three months before that fateful robbery and standoff that injured Officer Wynne.
Both robberies occurred late at night, right after the security officer left the store.
And the similarities don't stop there.
In both robberies, two men, wearing masks, forced their way into the store.
They entered through the front in March, and through a rear loading dock in the November 2011 robbery.
In both robberies, the two made the employees lay down on the floor and empty their pockets.
And another similarity... one robber stayed with the employees while the other forced a manager to open the safe.
But unlike the botched robbery, sources tell Local 15 the robbers in the November 2011 robbery did get some money.
In the March robbery, three men were arrested... Ronald Crear, Jakeith Harrison and Collier Kirksey.
Kirksey was working at the Winn Dixie at the time, and prosecutors claim he set up the robbery.
The previous robbery remains unsolved.
Could the same three be suspects in that crime?
Right now, Mobile police say this is an active investigation and they won't comment, only to say the first robbery did happen.
The District Attorney's office is aware of the first robbery, but will neither confirm nor deny that Crear, Harrison or Kirksey are being investigated.
As for the three defendants, they remain in jail, charged with robbery and attempted murder.
Crear is set for trial in May, Harrison and Kirksey for March.
