AUGUSTA — An Augusta man was injured Friday when three men reportedly forced their way into his Water Street apartment in a bid to steal his prescription pain medication.

Augusta Police Lt. Christopher Massey said the man in his 50’s suffered minor injuries during the robbery. Those injuries did not require a trip to the hospital, Massey said. His name was not released.

The robbery occurred around 10:45 p.m., when three men forced their way into the apartment, showed a weapon and demanded pain medication, Massey said.

He declined to specify what kind of weapon was used in the hold-up.

“They were able to obtain pain medication and fled on foot,” Massey said.

Multiple witnesses saw the men running from the building, Massey said. The robbers are believed to have run down Water Street to Bond Street and up Mount Vernon Avenue.

There is no indication the robbers know the victim, Massey said, but the men may have known the victim had been prescribed pain medicine.

The robbers were described as white men of average build. All three were dressed in black and wore masks, Massey said.

He said police were able to collect evidence at the scene.

“We’re hoping for leads out of that,” Massey said.

He asked anyone with information about the robbery to call Augusta police at 626-2370.

More than 20 stores and pharmacies have been robbed of prescription medication this year. There were 24 such robberies all of last year, according to Maine Drug Enforcement officials. Pharmacies in two stores–Goggins IGA in Randolph and Waterville Walmart–were robbed Tuesday. Shawn Merrill, 26, a transient, was arrested Friday in connection with those two robberies.

Massey urged those who are prescribed pain medication, such as OxyContin, to keep the information secret.

“The fewer people that know you’ve been prescribed medication the better,” Massey said.

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com