Investigators in Santaquin, Utah, have discovered a connection between the recent burglary of the Santaquin Pharmacy and Diabetes Center and several other break-ins across the state and neighboring states. According to Kevin Marchant, the owner and pharmacist at the Santaquin Pharmacy, numerous pharmacies have been targeted by thieves looking to steal opioids.
Marchant’s pharmacy was broken into in the early hours of a Thursday morning, with the perpetrator dressed in black, wearing gloves and a hoodie, and their face covered. The burglar shattered the front window and entered the pharmacy, crawling on the floor and stealing one bottle of promethazine with codeine. They also attempted to break into the locked safe, which contained narcotics.
The stolen bottle was only worth $37, but the cost of replacing the window was $1,100, causing significant financial damage for the business. This is not the first time the Santaquin Pharmacy has been targeted, as there was a robbery there a year ago where the suspect demanded all the oxycodone.
Marchant expressed frustration and fear at the pattern of burglaries and the appearance of the same suspect in surveillance videos. The fact that the perpetrator uses different getaway vehicles between burglaries raises concerns that these cars may be stolen. A white Toyota 4Runner was seen at both the Cache Valley Pharmacy burglary and a break-in at The Pharmacy on Hiland in Burley, Idaho.
Pharmacists in Utah are maintaining close contact with one another to share information about these break-ins and to discuss ways to protect their businesses. There is concern that the burglaries may continue and escalate, especially in light of recent incidents in California where pharmacies have been ransacked and looted.
Law enforcement authorities and pharmacists are calling for changes to be made to prevent further break-ins and thefts, as they fear that people may get hurt if the situation worsens.
Sources:
– Santaquin Pharmacy and Diabetes Center
– Kevin Marchant, owner and pharmacist at Santaquin Pharmacy
– Santaquin Police Department
– Cache Valley Pharmacy
– The Pharmacy on Hiland in Burley, Idaho
– KSL5TV
