Update: Deputies Investigating Armed Robbery at New Bern KFC

NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) - Armed robbers hit another fast food restaurant in the east and deputies are still looking for the suspects.  The Craven County Sheriff's Office says it happened at the KFC on highway 70 in New Bern around 9 o'clock Saturday night.

Three men, two of them armed, walked in wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts.

Deputies say they took the employees' cell phones, locked them in the freezer and took off on foot with an unknown amount of money.  This comes after a string of armed robberies at fast food chains in Greenville and Farmville.

Craven county deputies are trying to figure out if the cases are connected.  And to do that, they need an open line of communication.

People like John Gosier are tired of seeing the headlines.

"I just don't understand why people just can't be nice in society,” said John Oliver Gosier of Havelock.  “It just doesn't make any sense how we can't go and live civilized and earn money in an honest way."

This KFC in New Bern is just the latest in a long list of restaurants armed robbers have hit.  What started out as a trend in Greenville has spread to Farmville and now into Craven County.

"It doesn't surprise me,” said Capt. Joe Heckman with the Craven County Sheriff's Office.  “Crime like that travels sometimes after they've worked that certain area and it's gotten that law enforcement has turned up the heat a little bit, they have the tendency to go to another area."

Heckman says the Craven County Sheriff's Office will focus resources on businesses that operate on hours like KFC.  And they'll work with Greenville Police to compare cases and track down leads.  "We've worked hand in hand with the other agencies that surround our county on a regular basis so we know everybody over there and they all know us as well."

Heckman says even with Greenville Police Chief William Anderson leaving next month, he'll work closely with incoming deputy Chief Joe Bartlett.

Still, he isn't making any promises to prevent future robberies.

"I can't give you no guarantees on that one,” he said.  “We're going to do the best we can with what we got and hopefully we can resolve it before it does get out of hand or becomes a bigger problem for anybody."

And if you see crime happen, deputies say don't hesitate to call.  Greenville Police Chief William Anderson's last day on the job is February 17th.  We tried talking with him and deputy chief Joe Bartlett.  Neither was available for comment.

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NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) - Deputies are investigating another armed robbery at a fast food establishment, this time in Craven County.

 It happened Saturday night at the KFC in New Bern, off Highway 70.

A relative of one of the employees tells us three masked men came into the restaurant with guns, jumped over the counter and forced employees into the freezer.

They tell us five employees were in the restaurant at the time. No one was hurt.

Investigators believe the robbery may be gang-related and may even be tied to several recent fast food robberies in Greenville.