A robber armed with a knife targeted three people late on Wednesday night and injured two of them, although he twice encountered resistance.
The first mugging took place in Graham Street, Sliema, at around 8pm, when a couple heard someone knocking on the main door leading to the common area of their block, the police said.
The 50-year-old Serb, who had just entered the building with his wife, opened the door and came face-to-face with a hooded man holding a knife and demanding his cash.
A struggle broke out between the two men, and the Serb was stabbed twice and seriously injured. His assailant fled and was empty- handed.
Soon afterwards, the police received a description of the same man who had just mugged a 73-year-old woman in St John Bosco Street, Sliema.
The man approached her demanding cash, but she resisted and was slightly injured, the police said. He eventually ran off with a small amount of money.
About an hour later, the same man stopped a 55-year-old Maltese woman in Swieqi Road, Swieqi, and again ran off with some cash.
The police are investigating.