WOODBRIDGE, Va. — An armed burglary suspect who was shot and killed while trying to enter a woman's home on July 22 has been linked to several 7-Eleven robberies, according to Prince William County Police Department.
PWCPD previously said a 44-year-old woman shot and killed an armed masked man, later identified as 20-year-old Azhar Laurent Smart, when he approached her from the side of her house, when she exited her house. The woman told police that she was also armed and shot the intruder as they walked toward her front door.
In an investigation into Smart's death, which PWC Police ruled a "justifiable homicide," police matched the suspect's gun to a string of robberies at five 7-Eleven locations in the Woodbridge and Dumfries areas since late June.
Police said investigators were able to connect the crimes to a gun used in a recent armed robbery at a 7-Eleven located on Dale Boulevard in Woodbridge on July 16. This then led authorities down a rabbit hole of other robberies that matched with the shell casings of the same gun. Police believe these robberies are connected to the same suspect based on the description, the clothing worn during the crime and the motive.
Here are the list of robberies the suspect's gun was linked to, according to authorities:
July 5: An armed robbery on reported around 4:02 a.m. at a 7-Eleven located at 18075 Fraley Boulevard in Dumfries. An employee of the store told police that an unknown masked man entered the business and approached the counter where the suspect brandished a firearm and demanded money. During the encounter, the suspect fired a round into the display case behind the counter before fleeing the store. The store was occupied by additional patrons at the time of the robbery, no injuries were reported. An undisclosed amount of money was reported missing. The only suspect description is an unknown-race male wearing all-black clothing.
July 3: An armed robbery around 2:23 a.m., at a 7-Eleven located at 14820 Cloverdale Roaf in Woodbridge. An employee told police that an unknown masked man entered the store and walked around for a short time before approaching the counter. When the suspect approached the counter, he brandished a firearm at the employee and demanded money. The suspect fled on foot prior to police arriving at the location. A police K-9 searched the area for the suspect who was not located. No injuries were reported. An undisclosed amount of money was reported missing.
June 29: An armed robbery around 1:14 a.m. at a 7-Eleven located at 14797 Darbydale Avenue in Woodbridge. An employee of the business told police that while near the back of the store, an unknown man entered the store and approached him. During the encounter, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his waistband and demanded money. The employee walked to the registers in the front of the store while the suspect continued pointing the gun towards him. The suspect fled the business on foot prior to police arrival. No injuries were reported. A police K-9 searched the area for the suspect who was not located. An undisclosed amount of money was reported missing.
June 28: An armed robbery around 2:45 a.m. at the 7-Eleven located at 14410 Minnieville Road in Woodbridge. An employee of the business told police that an unknown man entered the store and approached the counter. During the encounter, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his waistband and brandished it towards the victim before demanding money from the register. The suspect fled on foot for a short distance before getting into a dark-colored sedan and fleeing the area. No injuries were reported. An undisclosed amount of money was reported missing.