Man convicted in connection with two armed robberies of Walgreens in Rancho Cordova

A man was convicted of four counts of robbery Thursday in connection with two robberies at a Rancho Cordova pharmacy.

Theo Lavern Simmons, 21, was found by a jury to have used a gun during two robberies, which occurred at the same Walgreens store two months apart, according to a news release issued by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.

The first was on New Year’s Eve 2015, when Simmons and a juvenile went to the pharmacy section of the Walgreens and jumped over the counter to steal drugs, according to the release.

Prosecutors believe Simmons put a gun to the head of an employee and led her into the back of the pharmacy, where they stuffed a backpack with pill bottles before escaping in a waiting vehicle, according to the release.

Then, on Feb. 29, 2016, Simmons and the same juvenile returned to the Walgreens to commit a similar crime, this time taking a pill bottle with a tracker that was traced to an apartment complex, according to the release.

At the complex, police found the getaway vehicle, which contained clothing seen on the suspects and a pellet gun, according to the release.

Simmons and the juvenile were arrested in San Joaquin County in connection with another robbery, which Simmons pleaded guilty to, according to the release.

Fingerprint evidence helped connect Simmons to the Rancho Cordova robberies, according to the release.

He is scheduled to be sentenced May 28 and faces up to 21 years and four months in prison.