HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island police have charged a 38-year-old Kailua, Kona, man with three counts of second-degree robbery in connection with incidents at three East Hawai'i businesses.

The first robbery was at about 2:50 a.m. on Wednesday, when a man entered Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo and grabbed cash from a register.

In the second case, a man entered Malama Market in Pahoa at about 7:47 p.m and "forcibly removed" cash from the register there before fleeing.

Then on Thursday at about 7:10 p.m., a man entered KTA Superstores on Pu'ainako Avenue in Hilo and attempted to take money from a register, police said. The robber was unsuccessful, and fled from the area, police said.

Police detectives announced that witnesses identified Robert Lee Willis as the man involved in all three cases. Willis, also known as Lee Willis, was arrested without incident by officers at 3 a.m. Friday at a home in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision.

Bail was set at $150,000, and Willis remained in custody at the Big Island Police Department's East Hawai'i Detention Center pending his initial appearance in court.

Police would still like to interview witnesses to the robberies, and asked that anyone with information about any of the robberies to call Detective Richard Sherlock at (808) 961-2379.