Bellevue Police are currently searching for three male suspects who allegedly robbed a Rite-Aid pharmacy at gunpoint on Sept. 28, and may be related to a string of other pharmacy robberies.
“We don’t know at this point if it’s a large group operating or if its two groups who have the same M.O.,” said Bellevue Police spokesperson Seth Tyler.
According to police, the three suspects entered the Rite-Aid pharmacy at 3905 Factoria Square Mall just before 9 p.m. on Sept. 28, and made their way behind the pharmacy counter. Once in the back of the pharmacy, one of the suspects reportedly pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the pharmacy workers, assaulted an employee and stole packages of drugs.
The three suspects fled the scene on foot, but police were unable to locate them.
Police said there was another pharmacy robbery on Sept. 16 in Bellevue that may have involved the same suspects, who may have been involved in a string of similar cases throughout the Northwest.
Redmond Police arrested three men on Sept. 24 after an attempted robbery at a Walgreens in Kirkland’s Rose Hill neighborhood. A fourth suspect in the Rose Hill robbery is still at large.
At the time, Bellevue Police said they believed those three suspects had committed the robbery at the Bartell Drugs store in Bellevue’s Crossroads area on Sept. 16. During that incident, the robbers used a stun gun on a clerk and then stole an undisclosed amount of Robitussin with codeine before fleeing.
It is possible both groups of men could be working together, said Tyler, but unknown at this time. “We haven’t gotten any info from the Kirkland suspects that they know the guys (involved in the Sept. 28 robbery), but they could be withholding that information. We need to get them into custody,” said Tyler.
Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and charge of the suspects in this most recent case. Individuals with information may call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), and need not provide their name. Rite-Aid is offering an additional $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects in this case.
