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Daring drugstore heist: Burglars saw way into pharmacy, steal thousands in prescription meds

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  October 11, 2024 11:13pm EDT
South Fulton
FOX 5 Atlanta

Burglars steal thousands in prescription drugs

A brazen burglary at a South Fulton drug store along Old National Highway, where thousands of dollars in drugs were pilfered, may be connected to a beauty supply store heist in DeKalb County.

The Brief

    • Thieves robbed Old Nat Pharmacy in South Fulton, taking thousands of dollars worth of medication and potentially linked to a prior beauty supply store burglary in DeKalb County.
    • The burglary involved cutting through the back door, disabling the alarm system, and sawing into the pharmacy's safe to steal drugs including morphine and oxycodone.
    • Surveillance captured two culprits actively avoiding motion detectors and emptying a portion of the pharmacy's safe before escaping.
    • The small business owner, Linda Davis, deeply affected by the crime, intends to enhance the pharmacy's security measures.
    • Police are investigating the crime, suggesting juveniles may be involved, and are seeking the public's assistance in providing information on the incidents.

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - Thieves broke into a South Fulton pharmacy early Thursday morning, stealing thousands of dollars in medication. The robbery occurred at Old Nat Pharmacy on Old National Highway, and police believe the same group was responsible for a beauty supply store break-in in DeKalb County just over a week ago. 

The pharmacy’s owner, Linda Davis, shared her shock and frustration. "They cut through the back door," she told FOX 5. Surveillance footage shows the criminals sawing through the door before one of them wriggles through a hole and crawls on the floor to avoid motion detectors. Another individual used a saw to cut into the store’s safe. 

"They found their way in and disabled the alarm," Davis explained. "They came in and had a party." The burglars made off with morphine, oxycodone, and weight-loss drugs, clearing out the entire right side of the pharmacy’s safe. Davis added, "It really hurts for someone to come into this store and damage someone who’s really just trying to help." 

The footage captured outside the pharmacy shows one suspect, dressed in a dark hoodie, sliding through the door, followed by another accomplice. The two thieves meticulously searched the store, eventually cutting into the safe and loading their haul into a box before fleeing. 

Davis, who operates the small business to provide affordable medication to her community, was devastated. "This is my baby," she said. "To pull off something like this in less than 20 minutes, you have a career somewhere else. You can honestly make more money than you would’ve made off these drugs." 

Police believe the same suspects were involved in a break-in at a beauty supply store on Bouldercrest Road in DeKalb County last week, where $10,000 worth of merchandise was stolen. The criminals used the same vehicle in both crimes, according to authorities. 

South Fulton Police spokesperson Tori Cooper described the break-in as "very brazen" and added, "They may be subjects in possible other break-ins." The suspects are believed to be juveniles. 

Davis is now taking steps to beef up security at her store. Police are urging anyone with information about these break-ins to come forward. 

The Source

  • Details of the break-in, the affected business owner's response, and the ongoing police investigation were originally reported by FOX 5 and are based on accounts from the owner Linda Davis, surveillance footage, and statements from South Fulton Police.