ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) – In the past few weeks, police here have noticed a new trend: Armed robbers are stealing not only their victims’ wallets and jewelry, but also the clothing off their backs.

Police believe two men have worked together in three similar robberies. “They stripped their victims down in the street,” Investigator Dom Paz told the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester. “They’ve taken their boots, pants, jackets, shirts, anything you can imagine. They leave their victims to walk home in their underwear.”

The first incident occurred late Oct. 4 when five young men were approached by two men, one of them armed with a handgun. The robbers told the group to get on the ground. One of them searched the victims, then made them remove their jewelry, sneakers and clothing.

In another instance, two men got out of a car, pushed a man to the ground and demanded his clothing, jewelry, pager, cell phone, and cash.

On Oct. 8, a man, armed with a gun, got out of a car and approached another man, telling him, “Run your pockets.” The man took off running and dropped a book bag, which the robber grabbed.

In each case, the robbers were riding in a red sedan.

AP-ES-10-21-03 2306EDT