Columbia police are investigating two armed robberies within minutes of each other and half-a-mile apart Thursday night.

At 710 pm, a man with a gun was seen entering the Hardees on the 3800 block of Rosewood Drive near Beltline Boulevard, police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said. About seven minutes later, the Dollar General store at 619 South Beltline was robbed at gunpoint. No one was injured in either armed robbery, Timmons said.

In both instances, the suspect was described as a 25 to 30-year-old black male, 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing between 160-170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, white shoes and a black skull cap, police said.

Anyone with information about either of these crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers, (888) CRIME-SC (274-6372).

-- By Rachael Myers Lowe