March 30, 2007 03:04 pm
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By Debby Schamber
The Orange Leader
The Orange Police Department is asking for information about an armed robbery that occurred about 8 a.m. Thursday in the 1100 block of 16th Street.
John Dennison, owner of Orange Pharmacy, arrived about 20 minutes before the opening time of 8:30 a.m. He noticed a man sitting in a car in the parking lot.
Dennison thought nothing of it at the time.
“This is not unusual,” Dennison said. “Sometimes people do arrive early to pick up their prescriptions.”
Dennison parked his car at the back of the store, and the suspect approached him and asked what time the pharmacy opened. Dennison informed him if he would go around to the front he would turn the alarm off and open the door.
However, the suspect abruptly approached Dennison as he started to go in the back door of the pharmacy.
“He came up right behind me with a gun,” Dennison said.
The suspect ordered Dennison into the store and told him to turn off the alarms and cameras, Dennison reported.
“He was very calm under the situation,” Dennison said. “He knew what he wanted — just like he was shopping.”
The suspect ordered Dennison to put the various medications into a bag and left, heading south on 16th Street in a late model gold- or tan-colored Chevrolet Lumina with paper dealer tags and a damaged passenger door.
“It all happened so quick and probably took about eight minutes to do,” Dennison said.
The man is described as a bald, black man approximately 30 to 35 years of age. He was wearing a blue plaid shirt and is around 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the OPD Communications Division at 409-883-1026 or the detective division at 409-883-1095.
“We are looking at video and trying to identify the suspect,” said Capt. Sparky Robinson. “We feel like we can ID this person.”
The Orange Pharmacy has been open for 25 years and nothing like this has ever happened before, Dennison said.
“We have had attempted break-ins or actual break-ins before,” Dennison said. “I intend to upgrade the security to the best available.”
Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2613, or dschamber@orangeleader.com
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