AUGUSTA — For the second time in a handful of days, a city pharmacy has been robbed of prescription drugs.
Augusta Police Detective Sgt. Matthew Clark said a man demanded unidentified medication late Tuesday night from the Stone Street CVS.
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It happened just four days after a prescription drug robbery at a North Belfast Avenue Rite Aid — less than a mile away.
“Due to the close proximity in distance and dates of these two robberies, investigators are looking at the likelihood that they are connected,” Clark said Wednesday.
Both city pharmacies were robbed earlier this year during separate but closely timed incidents, and two men have been charged in connection those cases.
Police said Tuesday’s robbery at the CVS at 2 Stone St. occurred around 9 p.m. Clark said a weapon was not shown, but other published reports cited police as saying the man gave the clerk a note indicating he had a weapon. Clark declined to comment on that report.
In a release, Clark said unidentified prescription medication was given to the robber, who fled the store on foot.
Maine State Police were called to help find the robber using a tracking dog, but the search was unsuccessful.
The robber was described as a white man in his mid 30s, wearing a dark baseball hat, a dark trench-style coat and dark pants. He also appeared to be wearing a wig, fake beard and sunglasses, police said.
The Rite Aid robbery occurred around 4:30 p.m. Friday when a man demanded drugs from the store at 2007 North Belfast Ave.. He fled on foot and a police search was unsuccessful.
That robber was described as a white man in his early 20s and about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 120 pounds, wearing a dark-colored, hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots. As was the case in the CVS holdup, the robber appeared to be wearing a fake beard and possibly a wig. A weapon was not shown.
The Stone Street CVS was robbed on Feb. 13, a week before a holdup at the North Belfast Avenue Rite Aid.
Carmine Fazzi, 19, of Augusta, has been charged with robbery in connection with the February burglaries. Fazzi, who was arrested earlier this year in New York on unrelated assault charges, returned to Maine on Friday and is being held on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 property.
Assistant District Attorney Steve Parker said in court documents that Fazzi claimed to have a handgun during the CVS and Rite Aid robberies.
Daniel Rines, 18, of Pittston, was charged in connection with the February Rite Aid robbery as the driver. An arrest warrant was out for a teenage boy who also is believed to be involved.
All told, there have been 12 pharmacy robberies in central Maine since May 2011, according to published reports, an average of one pharmacy robbery per month.
Craig Crosby — 621-5642
ccrosby@cetnralmaine.com
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