GLENWOOD – A landmark local business in Glenwood was broken into in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to the Glenwood police department.
A representative of the department said that around 1 a.m. Tuesday, three male subjects broke into Phil’s Eastside Pharmacy on Hwy. 70 in Glenwood and took an amount of pharmaceuticals, reporting that the three broke in and were in the store for only about a minute.
“They knew what they were looking for when they got there,” he said, characterizing the break-in as a “smash and grab”.
The perpetrators were caught on camera, but were full dressed in winter garb, largely covering their bodies and faces completely. The getaway vehicle was never caught on camera.
Glenwood Police Chief Randy Reid said that the break in was one of three pharmacies in “this corner of the state that have been hit, and we believe it to be the exact same people.”
“So far, the m.o. [modus operandi] is nearly 100% the same for each one,” said Reid, indicating that the medication being stolen was largely of the hydrocodone pills and codeine liquid variety.
“The codeine syrup seems to be the newest going thing and becoming the drug of choice, according to the DEA [Drug Enforcement Agency].”
Reid suspects the drugs will mostly be sold, with some kept for personal use, and he placed a street value of $16,000 on the medications stolen.
“They wouldn’t get that much in Glenwood, probably wouldn’t get that much in Hot Springs, but Little Rock and towns that size or bigger, one hydrocodone pill will sell for $5 out on the street.”
Reid admitted he didn’t know the street value of the liquid codeine, but stated that it could be mixed with liquids and be imbibed as a person was “driving around.”
Reid has been in contact with the other agencies working the case, and he suspects that due to the widespread nature of the offenses that the Arkansas State Police will become involved, if they haven’t already.
“Each agencies is adding what they have to come up with who they can be or who they are not – covering as wide an area as we are covering, it’s easier for the state police to work in that whole large area, because [the suspects] are hitting this whole corner of the state.
Police will continue working leads in the ongoing investigation, and people with any information regarding the case are asked to call the Glenwood Police Department or the Pike County Sheriff’s Department.
This marks the second robbery of the pharmacy in the past decade, according to the police spokesperson. The previous incident was an armed robbery.
In that instance all suspects were arrested and for which they are currently serving prison sentences.
