Area hit by robberies, burglaries

Crescenta Valley Sheriff detectives are continuing their investigation into two robberies that occurred within an hour of each other Jan. 30 along Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada and are believed to have been committed by the same suspect.

According to Det. Frank Diana, at 5:50 p.m. on Friday an armed suspect described as a stocky man, 50 -60 years old, 5’7” to 5’9” entered Citibank in the 700 block of Foothill. There was one customer and several bank employees in the building at the time. He ordered those that were in front of the teller counter to stand in an area where he could see them. The suspect then went from window to window demanding money. He exited the bank through the rear doors. About an hour later, a man matching the same description walked into Cal-Med Pharmacy in the 2200 block of Foothill Boulevard.

There, he pointed a gun at an employee and demanded OxyCotin and Demerol medication.

“It appears to be the same suspect because of similarity in his description by witnesses,” Diana said.

The suspect left the pharmacy with several bottles of medication. He was described as wearing a dark colored sweat shirt, dark pants and wearing a hat with a net over his face.

“Witnesses described it as being similar to a hat worn by bee keepers,” Diana said.

In an unrelated incident, La Crescenta Pharmacy in the 2700 block of Foothill Boulevard was burglarized just minutes after midnight on Saturday. Deputies responded when the store’s alarm was activated. They found a large metal crowbar and a can of WD-40 on the sidewalk in front of the location. Once inside it was discovered that the store had been ransacked, the cash register had been emptied, several medications were scattered on the floor and about 40 packages of cigarettes had been stolen.

In addition, Ocean View Liquors in the 2200 block of Foothill Boulevard was burglarized sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning. An employee of the store reported that when he arrived at work he found a side glass door had been smashed. Once inside he found that about 40 packages of cigarettes missing, along with cash.

Anyone with information on any of these incidents should contact the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station at (818) 248-3464.