AirPod-wearing robbery suspect hops Walgreens counter, demands ‘Oxy’ at Auburn store
Placer County Sheriff’s officials are seeking a suspect who robbed a Walgreens pharmacy in Auburn last week, jumping over the counter and stealing thousands of narcotics pills.
Video surveillance shows a male suspect in a dark-colored hoodie, sweatpants and white latex gloves instructing pharmacy officials to lead him to a safe, according to a Facebook post Friday by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. The robbery happened at the Walgreens on New Airport Road in Auburn, according to the social media post.
“The pharmacists were preparing to close the pharmacy, when the suspect jumped over the counter,” the sheriff’s post said. “He threatened the employees and made reference to having a gun. The suspect then grabbed one of the pharmacist’s arms and told her to take him to the safe that had the ‘Oxy’ (Oxycontin) in it.”
The employees did so, and the suspect made off with several bottles of prescription narcotics, each containing 500 pills. He hopped back over the counter and fled, authorities say.
The at-large suspect is described as a “skinny, African-American male in his late teens to early 20s,” who was seen wearing a green puffy jacket, black hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, latex gloves and who wore white Apple Air Pods in his ears during the robbery, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Placer County authorities noted in the Facebook post that Northern and Central California have seen upticks in pharmacy robberies at popular chain drug stores including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Raley’s over the last two years or so.
The Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information on the recent Walgreens robbery or any other pharmacy robbery in the area to contact its investigations division at 530-889-7830, or to contact Placer County Crime Stoppers at 800-923-8191. The latter number accepts anonymous tips.
