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Thieves Strike Two Southland Drug Stores

Thursday, July 26, 2007

By Melissa MacBride

PICO RIVERA, July 26, 2007 (KABC-TV) (KABC) -- The search is on for three thieves who hit two drug stores early Thursday morning.

The burglaries strongly resemble two others last week.

In all the incidents -- the burglars made off with medications used to make methamphetamine.

The burglars stole the allergy medicine Claritin D. They used a Toyota Camry in order to smash through the front doors. Investigators are at the scene looking inside of the store. Sheriff's deputies recovered surveillance video from the store that might be able to tell them who these suspects are.

It happened about 3:30 a.m. on Whittier Boulevard. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department says the suspects are two men and a woman. They stole medicine containing pseudoephedrine which is used to make methamphetamine.

According to a witness, they drove away in a dark colored van. Authorities are looking into whether or not the burglary is similar to one earlier in the morning in La Mirada. There was another burglary at around 2 a.m. at the Valley View Drug Store in La Mirada. In that case, burglars stole medicine and the cash register.

Sheriff's deputies that these types of crash and grab burglaries typically involve stolen cars and getaway cars.

Sgt. Michael Ramirez, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department: "They are followed by their vehicle, the suspect's vehicle. They commit the crime, gather the goods, exit and jump into their vehicle and flee the scene."

These are the third and fourth drug store burglaries in the last two weeks here in the Southland. Last week a store in Whittier was damaged when the thieves plowed through the entrance with a car and then stole pseudoephedrine. They may have been using the same stolen car as a getaway the day before in a burglary in Anaheim. Burglars there stole Claritin, Sudafed and decongestant in that incident as well.

Authorities in Pico Rivera have surveillance tape from inside of the CVS store and that may be able to tell them who these two men and woman are involved in the early morning burglary.

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