Police arrested a 23-year-old Dearborn man Aug. 7 in connection with two pharmacy burglaries that occurred in the early morning that day.
The first robbery occurred about 1:20 a.m. at Ford-Tel Pharmacy, 23800 Ford Road. Surveillance footage showed the suspect walking up to the window and peering inside the building before leaving in a 2001 black Nissan Xterra. He returned about 15 minutes later and used a hammer to break through the glass entry door. The man stole an undisclosed amount of pills and cash.
Using the information gleaned from the footage, police put out an information bulletin to local law enforcement agencies. A Dearborn officer immediately recognized the suspect information as someone who had committed pharmacy robberies in Dearborn in 2007 and 2008.
Heights police went to the man’s house on Coleman Street, where they found the Xterra parked in the street. While the responding officer waited for backup, however, the sport utility vehicle pulled away.
Shortly thereafter a break-in alarm was triggered at Dearborn Heights Pharmacy, 25524 Ford. By the time police arrived, however, the suspect had fled. But an officer still en route saw the Xterra blow through a red light at the Telegraph-eastbound Ford Road intersection and began pursuit. A backup unit joined the chase and eventually stopped the Xterra by boxing it in, causing slight damage to both cars.
When police approached the vehicle, the suspect threw 10 pill bottles and a pair of gloves out of the driver’s-side window. He confessed immediately to the crimes and was arrested.