OTTAWA — Pharmacies in three Northwest Ohio counties — including Putnam — were the targets of robberies last week, with authorities still searching for three men believed to have been involved in the break-ins.
Tucker’s Pharmacy, located at 1831 E. Main St. in Ottawa, was one of the businesses to be victimized during an early-morning robbery on Jan. 24.
Ottawa Police Chief Kyle Stechschulte said his office was notified by an alarm activation at 4:11 a.m. that morning to respond to the pharmacy. Upon arrival officers found forced entry to the front door.
Stechschulte said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was contacted and is assisting in the investigation.
The chief said a minimum of three suspects fled from the scene in what appeared to be a small, black sports utility vehicle. Defiance police said in a statement they believe the suspects were driving a dark colored Hyundai SUV.
Putnam County Sheriff Brian Siefker said it was his understanding that the string of burglaries started on the morning of Jan. 24 in Defiance.
A Toledo television station reported the Okuley Pharmacy in Defiance was targeted at approximately 3:30 a.m. that day. Police reportedly found signs of forced entry and determined that several controlled substance medications had been removed from a locked cabinet.
Tucker’s was the next site hit, with three men reportedly inside the store for less than three minutes. Some 37 minutes later a pharmacy in Findlay was robbed in similar fashion, Siefker said.
The incidents all occurred in the early-morning hours before the pharmacies opened for the day, according to Siefker. A pharmacy in the Hancock County village of Arlington reportedly was also among the sites hit that day.
