In the past 4 months, Puget Sound area pharmacies have been burglarized by suspects taking large quantities of narcotics and cigarettes. On November 27th at 5:00 am, two suspects entered a pharmacy through the drive-up window and in just over a minute, made their way to the locked pharmacy cabinet. The suspects pried open the cabinet and filled a large garbage bag with narcotics. A later inventory revealed the loss at over 8400 total pills.
Detectives tracked the thieves to the 4600 block of South Victor Street. SPD patrol responded and conducted a knock and talk. Patrol contacted two men and obtained their ID. Both males denied any involvement with the pill theft. Detectives learned that one of men contacted by patrol officers on 27th was arrested on the 20th in the city of Yelm inside a burglarized pharmacy holding a large black garbage bag full of pills. The same suspect was also involved in a pharmacy burglary in 2019 in Marysville.
Today, SPD SWAT served a warrant on the home and arrested the primary suspect. The scene was turned over to detectives and South Precinct patrol officers. Detectives searched the home and located $6,000, a large amount of oxycodone, Percocet and other pills as well as liquid promethazine. Two guns were found inside the bedroom of the primary suspect who is a convicted felon and not legally allowed to possess firearms. Detectives also found evidence linking the suspect to the burglary. A vehicle was impounded from the scene and detectives hope to serve a warrant on this vehicle next week.
Officers booked the suspect booked into the KCJ on a variety of charges. This remains an ongoing investigation.
