BUCKSPORT, Maine — Police have released surveillance video stills of the man who robbed the Rite-Aid pharmacy on U.S. Route 1 in Bucksport on Wednesday evening.
Sgt. David Winchester of the Bucksport Police Department said he hopes the public can help identify the man, who made off with an undisclosed amount of an undisclosed prescription drug and fled the pharmacy on foot shortly before 7 p.m. Police aren’t saying what kind of drugs or how much were stolen.
The photos show a man in dark clothing with his face obscured by a mask. Police say the robber was between 6 feet and 6 feet, 3 inches tall, wearing blue jeans and a dark hooded sweatshirt. The photos also show the man carrying a cane, which police suspect is a prop.
It was the second time the Rite-Aid pharmacy had been robbed this summer, and Winchester said it’s possible that the masked robber on Wednesday was the same man who robbed the pharmacy on June 26. The suspect in that robbery, who escaped with stolen painkillers, is also still at large.
Winchester said the police and Rite-Aid are working together to provide extra security in the wake of the dual robberies.
“Between the two of us, in law enforcement and the pharmacy, we are trying to take precautions and heighten awareness,” he said.
The sergeant said he is disturbed by the increase in pharmacy robberies in the state. He said Hancock County has seen more robberies than usual this year.
“It’s new to Bucksport, and it’s kind of new to the area,” he said. “But over the last four or five months we’ve had two in Bucksport, a couple in Ellsworth, one in Camden, one in Rockland. They’re becoming more frequent.”
There have been nearly 40 pharmacy robberies in Maine already this year, compared with just 28 robberies in all of 2011. About half of the pharmacy robberies in Maine this year have been at Rite-Aids, according to year-to-date data collected at the end of May.
Winchester asked anyone with information on either robbery to call the Bucksport Police Department at 469-7951. He said anonymous tips can be left by calling the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department’s tip line at 667-1401.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
A few more photos and we could piece together a training video for future pharmacy bandits. All this does is show how easy it is to hold up a drug store. No worries-help yourself. Think about it-most of these people have fried brains. If the media and police would stop advertising -these drones might forget about this kind of crime and go back to Allens-it’s great over ice or in your coffee. Perhaps they’d steal the ice and coffee though.
Save your cans and get some Old Duke for breakfast . I still remember those days but I never had to steal.
That stuff is smoooooth….
it looks like the same guy from the walgreens robbery
Thats what I was going to say they look very similar in build!
Is it weird that I think we should also look at the guys feet in these videos? Not too many men have a million pairs of shoes. I dont know just throwing it out there :)
i suspect it might be someone employed at riteaid. seems to know routine at riteaid. someone famaliar with the pharmacies just a hunch
They’re all the same all across the country.
It’s not rocket science, even for a junkie.
all for the love of drugs. you know some are life saving but it isnt worth taking drugs for a HIGH. i know somethings in the world is bad but it is nicer being sober
You would think the clerk would think this guy was up to something. 80 outside and wearing a black hoodie.Come on people get a clue what is going on in the store……..
well that helps
I was just told the Newport Rite-Aid was robbed earlier tonight. Didn”t see it myself. Was told by someone at Timmy Horton’s – across the road from Rite-Aid.
Pharmacists make pretty good salaries, but between the insurance BS, the grumpy old customers, and the higher risk of robbery – forget it.
Some of these kids owe close to 200k for their Pharmacy educations. They could quit and go to work at a hospital-but the pay is less starting out. Most have to stay.
Between you and David Willette, this case may well be solved. Nice work!
Thanks….I’m really flattered…
The first thing every pharmacy in the state needs to do is rip out these circa 1996 640 x 480 resolution ceiling “security cams” and put some hi def cameras behind and eye level to the windows, store entrances, and exits. It is 2012 and we are in the middle of an epedemic people. New technology is cheap (unless you pay top dollar from a rip-off police spy catalog).
I don’t care how good the detectives are on these cases, this video is practically useless.
You would think that this would be done, but these chains are horribly cheap. Its cheaper for them to take the hit on the cost of the drugs than to invest in new cameras.
I agree…this isn’t rocket science.
Why would they care? They still get the insurance money whether the guy gets caught or not.
I lived in Bucksport for years and even if this person was my next door neighbor I wouldn’t be able to tell because the video is so crappy! They need to invest in better cameras if they really want the public’s help catching these people!
They need to put video outside in the parking lot and the enterance.Maybe think about having a bottle or two of meds that look like pain medicine but is not and they would think twice about robing a pharmacy again.
Want to put an end to pharmacy robberies and other types of drug related crime? Legalize, regulate, and tax drugs. It works. Check the stats at the L.E.A.P. website. Thats Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, learn from the men and women on the front lines of the War on Drugs.