DELTONA, Fla. – Volusia County deputies said a cross-dressing thief claiming to have a bomb was thwarted early Sunday morning in an attempt to rob a Deltona drug store of its prescription pills.
Deputies said the robbery attempt occurred about 5:55 a.m. Sunday at the CVS Pharmacy on Howland Boulevard.
Recommended Videos
Witnesses said the assailant, who they were not sure was a man or a woman, claimed that their children were being held hostage, deputies said.
"My kids are being held hostage, you need to comply with my request," the culprit said, according to the report.
Deputies said the would-be thief also claimed to have a bomb and threatened to blow up the store if the prescription drugs weren't handed over.
"I want all of your Oxycodone, Dilaudid, and other prescription drugs," the culprit said, according to the report.
Deputies said the culprit flashed a cardboard box from a handbag, but the pharmacist said it didn't have any wires or electronics and just appeared to be a plain box, so he ordered the robber out of the store.
The assailant fled out the front door and was last seen crossing the parking lot on foot, deputies said.
When asked what the person looked like, the pharmacist said "very weird."
Deputies rushing to the crime scene arrived within three minutes and began setting up a perimeter and launched a search with the assistance of a Sheriff's Office helicopter and K-9 unit, officials said.
Witnesses reported that the culprit appeared to be a cross-dressing man, but also said the robber had feminine-looking features, deputies said.
Deputies said the suspect appeared to be Hispanic, about 30 years old and 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a thin build. The culprit was wearing glasses, a wig and black lipstick.