HOBART | Police say the same man may be responsible for armed robberies at three health and nutrition stores over the past three days.

The most recent robbery was reported at noon Thursday at the Vitamin Shoppe, 2217 E. 80th Ave., Hobart, Lt. Dave Evans said.

He said a man with a knife walked into the store and demanded cash.

The clerk handed over about $200 to $300, and the man fled from the store, Evans said.

The robbery follows two others, including one at noon Wednesday at the General Nutrition Center, 7826 E. Ridge Road, Hobart, and one late Tuesday morning at the General Nutrition Center, 322 Ridge Road, Munster.

"We believe it may be the same guy," Evans said. "We're in the process of calling other agencies to see what communities have vitamin stores or GNCs."

Police speculate the man is hitting health and nutrition stores because they generally have low customer traffic and they are usually staffed by women who may offer less resistance.

"There's not a lot of money to be robbed," he said.

He said there were no customers inside the stores during the two Hobart robberies and no injuries were reported.

The suspect in the Hobart robberies was described as a stocky white man in his mid-20s wearing a black turtleneck sweater and jeans. He also was wearing round eyeglasses.

In the Munster robbery, a weapon was never displayed, but the robber implied he had one, Munster police said.

That suspect in the Munster robbery was described as a white man, about 30 years old, 6 feet tall and 170 pounds. He also was described as having blond hair and wearing a baseball hat, a black turtleneck sweater, black coat and blue jeans.