Bismarck police advise people to be aware of their surroundings and report anything suspicious to authorities after a Thursday night robbery at a Subway was followed by several other suspicious incidents Friday night and Saturday morning.

Sgt. Steve Cysewski said officers investigated cases involving a felonious restraint and robbery, and an attempted sexual assault on Friday night.

He said two 21-year-old Bismarck women reported that they were exiting a vehicle in the parking lot of Ramkota Hotel, 800 S. Third St., near door seven around 10 p.m. Friday when they were approached by two American Indian men wearing hooded sweatshirts.

At least one of the men was wearing a bandanna over his face, Cysewski said.

One of the men had a long-barreled gun, such as a rifle or a shotgun, and the suspects ordered the women back into the vehicle and told them to drive to the area of London Avenue and South Washington Street, Cysewski said.

He said the women followed the commands and parked the vehicle on London Avenue. The men ordered the women to get out and run, which they did, he said.

Cysewski said the women heard a gunshot coming from behind them as they ran. They stopped at a residence and called 911, he said.

The suspects had fled the area when police arrived, but the vehicle was recovered in the same area where the women had been ordered to get out and run, he said.

The suspects are described as American Indian men between the ages of 19 and 25. Both are described as thin, and the women thought one was about 5 feet, 8 inches tall while the other was about 5 feet, 10 inches tall.

The incident is being considered a case of felonious restraint and robbery, Cysewski said. The felonious restraint covers the women being forced into the vehicle against their will, and the robbery covers the possible theft of the vehicle after the women were forced to flee the car, he said.

Cysewski said police believe it's possible the incident could be related to a robbery Thursday night at the Subway at 301 S. Third St.

In that incident, employees of the restaurant reported that an American Indian male in his late teens or early 20s entered the establishment at 9:48 p.m. with a long-barreled gun and demanded employees give him money, a milkshake and a meatball sandwich. The clerk gave him an undisclosed amount of money, though police were not sure whether he was given the sandwich. Subway does not serve milkshakes.

The suspect in that case was believed to be about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and had a dark-colored bandanna covering his face.

Cysewski said the description of the taller suspect in the Friday night case was comparable to the description of the Subway robbery suspect, because both were described as thin American Indian males and their approximate heights were within a few inches of each other.

"It's possible" that the incidents are related, he said. "There are some similarities with the hooded sweatshirt and the fact that a long gun was used in this incident, similar to the Subway robbery."

Early Saturday morning, a 25-year-old Bismarck woman reported that she was walking home from Borrowed Buck's Roadhouse, 118 S. Third St., between the 1200 and 1600 blocks of East Rosser Avenue when she came upon two white men standing near an alley, Cysewski said. He said the woman reported that one of the men grabbed her and she punched him, then she struggled with the men until one of them ended up on top of her on the ground.

The woman reported that she was able to get away, then ran to Loaf 'N Jug, 2600 E. Rosser Ave., to call police, Cysewski said.

She described the men as being white and between the ages of 25 and 30. She described one as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 190 pounds, and the other as 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. Police are considering the incident an attempted sexual assault.

Cysewski said people should be aware of their surroundings, especially when out at night. He advised the public to watch out for anyone who seemed suspicious, especially if the person is wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up on a warm night. Anyone who sees someone with a gun should immediately call police, he said.

"Anyone who sees something they feel is suspicious or out of the ordinary should call police right away and let us take a look," he said.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents Thursday, Friday and Saturday should call the Bismarck Police Department at 223-1212 or Bismarck Area Crime Stoppers at at 224-TIPS (224-8477).

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com.)