Pharmacy Thefts In Washington Co. Have Police Stymied
LITTLE WASHINGTON (KDKA) -- Police are investigating unusual cases of prescription drug theft in Washington County.
"It's scary," said local resident Regina Hunnell. "Little Washington has gotten really bad."
Hunnell, like many people, is concerned about the drug overdose cases that have been in the front page news recently in western Pennsylvania.
But, now, there's an unusual twist in the surge of prescription drug thefts we've been hearing about.
In Little Washington, just in the past week, at least three customers have been robbed of their prescription medications after picking them up at the Medicine Shoppe pharmacy in the 400-block of Jefferson Avenue.
The thefts occurred in the drug store's parking lot.
Hunnell told KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti, "I'm shocked. They might take someone's heart medicine, and they [the thieves] don't even know what they're taking."
The latest incident took place Tuesday morning. A woman leaving the Medicine Shoppe was approached by someone who snatcher two medications she had just picked up inside the drug store.
She described the man as white, wearing glasses and having a white bandana partially obscuring his face, according to the Washington Observer-Reporter.
The man then jumped into a passenger car, and fled the scene.
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Other similar thefts outside the pharmacy took place last Wednesday and Thursday.
In every case, the customers told police they had just had their prescription filled and were outside when the thefts happened.
Another pharmacy customer, Ella McCort, reacted to the robberies saying, "This is a new one on me. I can't believe they're doing this; I'm going to be more cautious now.
Neither the owner of the Medicine Shoppe nor Washington City Police returned our calls late Tuesday.