Published: May 18, 2007 10:37 pm         

Beckley police searching for suspect in pharmacy robbery

Beckley police continued their search Friday for a suspect they say robbed a city pharmacy at gunpoint.

About 9:45 a.m. Friday, a man came into Beckley Pharmacy on Stanaford Road armed with a semi-automatic handgun, Detective Cpl. David Allard said. The man told the three employees he was going to rob them and demanded narcotics. Employees remained calm and complied. No employees were harmed.

The man fled the scene with a yet-to-be determined amount of generic oxycodone, Allard said.

The suspect is believed to have fled the scene in a vehicle, possibly a dark-colored Oldsmobile Achieva, Allard said. Police were unsure if any additional people were inside the car. The suspect was originally believed to have stopped at a nearby gas station before the robbery, but police now believe he did not.

Police were in the process of interviewing witnesses, reviewing surveillance footage from both the pharmacy and neighboring businesses, and processing evidence.

The same pharmacy was robbed April 24 and a pharmacist was forced to drive the suspect to Oak Hill. Ricky Adkins, 53, of Beckley, was charged with kidnapping and first-degree robbery the next day. Adkins is being held at Southern Regional Jail.

The same pharmacist was also working when Friday’s robbery took place, Allard said.

The suspect is described as either a white man with a dark complexion or a Hispanic man, Allard said. He is between 6-foot and 6-3 and between 240 to 300 pounds. He had a thin, black mustache and/or beard. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt with orange writing and orange stripes and what may be a blue Seattle Mariners baseball cap.

Detective Cpl. Frank Priddy said the suspect was spotted at Sophia’s Lester Square between 6 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday. He was possibly accompanied by a tall, slender black man who had either dreadlocks or cornrows in his hair.

Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity or whereabouts is encouraged to call the Beckley Police Department at 256-1708 or Crime Stoppers at 255-7867.

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