Alert neighbors are being credited with the arrest of two Bristol men whom police say burglarized a pharmacy during the power outage following Hurricane Sandy and hundreds of prescription medications -- mostly painkillers.
Shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, Michael Whiteley, 25, of Fillmore Street, and Matthew Vickers, 30, of Pine Street, used a hammer to smash the front window of the Mill Street Pharmacy, Bristol police said.
Since the hurricane knocked out power in most of Bristol, the pharmacy’s alarm didn’t work, Bristol Sgt. Joe Moors said.
 |
| Suspects Michael Whiteley and Matthew Vickers |
“And the suspects knew that,” he added.
Once inside, the pair stole 500 tablets each of acetaminophen and 2 mg alprazolam, 100 tablets of 10 mg methadone, five bottles of cough syrup with codeine and 1,500 tablets of 5 mg and 7.5 mg hydrocodone, according to a probable cause affidavit and Moors.
Police were able to catch the suspects seven blocks away on the 700 block of Pond Street, after neighbors offered police a description of the suspects and a direction of travel, Moors said.
“I credit the residents from the Mill Street neighborhood for getting involved and helping with the quick apprehension of the suspects,” he added. “At a time when all the power is out, people are looking out for each other.”
Whiteley and Vickers were arraigned Wednesday before Newtown District Judge Donald Nasshorn on charges of burglary, theft, manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy. They were both sent to Bucks County prison in lieu of 10 percent of $100,000 bail apiece.
Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia
No comments:
Post a Comment