Sheriff's office releases video of Bradenton bar robbery, morning after latest in string of hold-ups

MANATEE — The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday released video surveillance of the armed robbery of a bar over the weekend they believe is related to other similar hold-ups — including the latest one late Monday.

The video was from the robbery early Saturday at Bubba’s Too, 5435 15th St. E.

The latest robbery happened at 10:49 p.m. Monday when three robbers armed with handguns hit Scalawags, 1112 Whitfield Ave., taking money from the business and patrons and then fleeing, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The robbery was the third at a Bradenton bar since Thursday, and came the same night workers from several bars and others gathered to learn ways to protect themselves and to raise money for a reward fund.

The other bars robbed in the past week — each by three or four masked gunmen — were the Oasis bar, 6006 Manatee Ave. W., and Bubba’s Too, which is about two miles from Scalawags.

The sheriff’s office said the latest robbery appears to be connected to the other holdups, but detectives are not positive the same suspects are responsible. They did not say whether these latest robberies have any connection to a string of bar robberies last spring.

Anyone with information should call the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 5:43 AM with the headline "Sheriff's office releases video of Bradenton bar robbery, morning after latest in string of hold-ups."