CHEHALIS, WA. – Two frightening robberies in Lewis County left customers and employees tied up. One happened in Centralia, the other in Chehalis, where one victim was not only tied up, but raped.

Chehalis

Police are looking for a man who they say raped, robbed and tied up a Subway store worker at gunpoint Wednesday night.

Police say the woman who was attacked was closing up the store located next to Interstate 5 around 10 p.m. when the rapist somehow got in the back door.

The man had a handgun. Police say he raped the woman, took cash from the store, tied up the victim then took off.

The victim managed to untie herself and go to a friend's house to call 911. She has been released from the hospital.

"Our hopes and prayers are with the victim and her family. We are working very closely with police and we hope the perpetrator is caught very quickly," said store owner Christian Fast.

Brittane Wheeler works nearby. She was also alone Wednesday night when she closed Roobucks Pizza just an hour before the attack.

"It could have happened to me. I'm really shook up. It's crazy," said Walker.

The owner of Roobucks says what happened has taught him a lesson.

"We are going to up our own security levels at night to make sure we always have two people in the building because I think that might have helped prevent this situation," said Nathan Wheeler.

Chehalis Police say there's not a lot to go on with the suspect's description and they hope the victim can soon help an artist draw a sketch. The attacker is described as a white male in 30s to early 40s, average height and build with medium length dark hair wearing black t-shirt and black pants.

Centralia

Imelda Anguino thought that was it when a gun-wielding robber stormed her Centralia store Thursday afternoon, forcing her to tie up her customer, then herself before locking them in a restroom and taking of with the cash.

Imelda was shaken, but unhurt.

Business owners concerned

Police are confident the crimes are not related because the suspects are of different races, but the crimes have area business owners concerned.

In both cases there is no surveillance video of the actual crimes. Police are checking neighboring businesses to see if their security systems hold any clues.