Palo Alto police are looking for a man who they said robbed a CVS pharmacy on Middlefield Road on Sunday afternoon, making off with prescription drugs.
The man walked into the Midtown pharmacy, handed an employee a note and placed his unzipped backpack on the pharmacy's counter, surveillance footage shows. The employee then puts prescription drugs into the man's backpack, at which point the robber walks out of the store.
The man indicated that he had a gun, according to a police news release. No one was injured during the robbery.
Detectives described the robber as a white man who is between 25 and 35 years old. He is about 5 feet and 10 inches tall and weighs around 175 pounds, according to the news release. He wore a black sweater or jacket over a blue shirt and carried a gray backpack. He also wore a black Colorado Rockies baseball cap with a purple brim and dark sunglasses.
Police do not believe the CVS theft is related to a Jan. 10 armed robbery at a Safeway grocery store, about a block away from the CVS. That incident involved three men, one of whom brandished a gun while another smashed the glass door to the pharmacy before they ran off with prescription drugs.
Police announced on Tuesday that they had arrested two of the three people who were involved in the January robbery. They continue to search for the third robber.
Anyone with information about Sunday's robbery is asked to call the department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the police's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
Comments
Downtown North
on Mar 4, 2020 at 3:25 pm
on Mar 4, 2020 at 3:25 pm
What kind of drugs are these people stealing? Is it for their personal use or are they selling on some kind of local black market?
Midtown
on Mar 4, 2020 at 3:47 pm
on Mar 4, 2020 at 3:47 pm
> "What kind of drugs are these people stealing?"
^^^ Obviously prescription drugs that cannot be purchased over the counter.
Most likely painkillers as the robbers seem to know what they are after.
With its close proximity to Oregon & 101 (as in quick getaway routes/access), the Midtown shopping area is prime for these types of crimes.
Chances are the suspects are 'out of towners" as most PA residents do not resort to such measures.
The Amarillo Avenue/Tanland/Greer park area is also a prime area for residential burglaries & car break-ins due to the frontage road that runs along 101...another quick getaway route.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:05 pm
on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:05 pm
Could be Sudafed, an over-the-counter drug that is used to make meth so it's locked or behind the counter. They ask for ID whenever someone purchases so the druggies can't overbuy. Why did the film cut off? We could see if it's the red boxes of Sudafed.
Also, why isn't there a camera at the level of the faces? Could basically get a mug shot of criminals. Don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that one.
Adobe-Meadow
on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:14 pm
on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:14 pm
He has white facial hair - he looks like a "geezer". And he is over weight in picture. A day time robbery is very brazen. This is a very busy location during the day. I am going to check out every one now when I am in the busy midtown area.
Midtown
on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:33 pm
on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:33 pm
> "Could be Sudafed, an over-the-counter drug that is used to make meth..."
Meth has become a major problem/addiction leading to even more crime whether it be theft to procure the key ingredients, sexual assaults on women, incoherent babbling on the streets by homeless meth-heads, + home/auto burglaries & robberies.
99.99% of meth addicts are dysfunctional human beings & need to be locked up & denied access to the drug.
Scott Weiners proposed bill to reward abstaining meth addicts with cash and/or gift cards is ludicrous because it is an addiction that cannot be curtailed.
The only way to cut down on the problem is to arrest/incarcerate all meth addicts & get them off the streets before they either harm someone or commit robberies/theft to support this addiction.
A $40.00 a day habit adds up to $1200.00 over a month so if one is homeless and jobless, it's not too difficult to establish where the money comes from to support this habit.
Meth = CRIME.
Old Palo Alto
on Mar 5, 2020 at 7:57 am
on Mar 5, 2020 at 7:57 am
Scott Weiner is an unrealistic & impractical state legislator.
Affordable housing in exclusive neighborhoods? Rewarding meth addicts with CASH?
As the classic line from the old TV series Home Improvement goes..."I don't think so Tim." (or rather Scott).
'Beam me out of Weiner's universe'.
another community
on Mar 5, 2020 at 9:15 am
on Mar 5, 2020 at 9:15 am
He looks older than 25-35, and heavier than 175. I hope they catch him.
Adobe-Meadow
on Mar 5, 2020 at 3:51 pm
on Mar 5, 2020 at 3:51 pm
> He looks older than 25-35, and heavier than 175. I hope they catch him.
***They will. Meth addicts (if such is the case here) are almost always repeat offenders.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 6, 2020 at 3:45 pm
on Mar 6, 2020 at 3:45 pm
quote...Affordable housing in exclusive neighborhoods? Rewarding meth addicts with CASH?
As far as the homeless meth addiction problem is concerned, homeless meth addicts SHOULD NOT be provided with housing vouchers either as they are too irresponsible to maintain the premises.
Case in point...if you were a landlord, would you avail your rental units to people who will probably burn it down or turn it into a filthy rat hole?
No sir. These individuals need to be LOCKED UP and put away...off the streets, away from the strip malls, not sleeping on park benches or riding public transportation back & forth to kill time.
Chances are if you see someone sleeping behind a building at 1-2PM in the afternoon, chances are they are homeless, without a job & sleeping off another bender.
This is unacceptable to decent residents of our local communities.
And for the sympathetic 'do-gooder' mentalities...invite these people into your home, feed them, let them sleep in your guest room (or granny unit) and spend time with your children. Yeah right.