PALM BAY, Fla. – Area law enforcement agencies are on the alert after two Walgreens pharmacies were targeted for robbery by an gun-toting bandit demanding prescription drugs, police say.
The latest prescription pill heist happened at 9 a.m. Monday at a store in the 300 block of North Wickham Road in Melbourne, less than 20 hours after a similar robbery in Palm Bay, police said.
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The thief in the Melbourne robbery, whose image was captured by surveillance cameras, matches the description of the man who committed the armed robbery at 3:45 p.m. Sunday at the Walgreens at 175 Malabar Road in Palm Bay.
A third Walgreens pharmacy was hit April 21 in Rockledge, police said. No arrests have been made in any of the cases, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.
The robber walked into the Melbourne store Monday, pulled out a handgun and demanded prescription pills from the pharmacist before fleeing, officials reported. The man is described as about 5-foot-8 with a medium build, unshaven and was last seen wearing a skull cap, sunglasses and black clothing and carrying a black backpack. The man has tattoos on his left hand.
Sunday, the man brandished a gun and demanded medicine from a Walgreens pharmacist before making off with an undetermined amount of pills, police said.
"This is more than likely going to be someone with a drug problem. He did have a specific few pills that he wanted from (the pharmacist). He never demanded money," said Detective Luis Figueroa of the Palm Bay Police Department.
A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.
"We are hoping someone can identify him from the pictures so we can get this dangerous individual off the street," Figueroa said.
Anyone with information about the robber is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.