SLIPPERY ROCK TWP, Lawrence County — State police are calling an unknown man suspected of robbing the same convenience store twice in four days daring and potentially dangerous.

“This is someone that's desperate,” said Trooper Randolph Guy. “It's somebody that obviously needs money in a bad way.”

The ski mask-wearing suspect in the latest robbery Wednesday night was armed with what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol. A similar looking handgun was used in Saturday's holdup.

“He pointed the gun at (the employees),” Guy said. “He had it trained on them the whole time.”

No one was hurt in either stickup. Police have no suspects.

Investigators said the robber about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday entered the store and demanded money and merchandise from two clerks — a 47-year-old Ohio woman and a 20-year-old Ellwood City man — working that night.

Police said in the prior robbery at the store about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, the robber confronted two clerks at the front counter and ordered them to give him the money in the cash register.

He made off with currency and store items on Wednesday and currency on Saturday.

Guy said police are not releasing how much money or what items were taken for fear of jeopardizing their investigation. But he characterized the stolen loot as being relatively small.

The similar modus operandi and the descriptions provided by the clerks suggest police are looking for the same man in both robberies.

“The physical descriptions, the mannerisms and gait, everything looks the same,” Guy said. “The MO in both (crimes) are identical.”

The suspect in both robberies is described as being in his 20s, between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 11 inches tall, with a thin build. The robber each time held the gun in his right hand.

On Wednesday, he wore a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with the name “Everlast” in white lettering on the front of it.

In the earlier holdup, his dark-colored hooded sweatshirt had Under Armour logos on top of the hood and on the left front chest.

The robber in each stickup wore a dark ski mask that hid his face.

Guy said police believe the suspect on both nights made his getaway in a vehicle parked nearby. The vehicle each time was close enough to the store where the robber could determine that no customers were inside.

Police on Thursday released store surveillance images of the suspect during each robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at 724-598-2211. Police noted that all calls would be kept confidential.