Home News 

Story

Teens Charged In Repeat Rock Hill Pharmacy Break-Ins

Posted: 11:11 am EDT July 8, 2009Updated: 10:58 pm EDT July 8, 2009

An Eyewitness News viewer's tip led to two arrests that are restoring peace and a sense of safety to folks at a Rock Hill pharmacy.

"We're so happy. It really felt good," said Good Pharmacy owner Marvin Hyatt.

Relief and smiles were everywhere Wednesday at the long-time family-owned store.

However, June was a month people there wish they could erase from memory. The pharmacy was broken into three times in three weeks by the same burglars. They smashed doors and windows, cut the power and stole money and drugs.

Pharmacist Laura Sweat said every day was frightening.

"It was terrifying. Very scary for our employees, our staff, our families," she said.

For the two teenagers that police say were involved, it all started to unravel in Lowell, N.C., on June 21. That's when they were stopped for speeding.

Lowell police searched their car and found bottles of liquid painkillers, such as morphine, oxycodone and methadone. They arrested 17-year-old Brandon Ryan Bean of Clover and 18-year-old Jonathan Moore of Charlotte on drug trafficking charges. However, at that time they said they couldn't connect the drugs to the crimes in Rock Hill.

A week later, a Cramerton police officer was watching Eyewitness News and saw the surveillance video from the Rock Hill store. He was familiar with the arrests in Lowell, and called Cpt. Scott Bates with the Lowell Police Department. He looked at the surveillance video again on WSOCTV.com.

"We saw the video, and it looked like the two guys we had stopped here," Bates said. “We notified Rock Hill police, and within hours they had them."

Police charged Moore in three break-ins and Bean in two of them.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation tested the bottles of painkillers and they matched the ones stolen from Good Pharmacy.

Rock Hill Detective James Carsto said something as common as a traffic stop often turns up more than expected.

"The simplest things -- speeding, a headlight out, crack windshield -- can lead to much more," he said.

Good Pharmacy was hit the first time on June 4. The suspects cut the power, smashed the door and took more than 30 bottles of oxycodone, Ritalin pills, morphine, Suboxone, Percocet and methadone, some in liquid and some in pill form.

Four days later, on June 8, the suspects hit again, police said, breaking the same door, and taking more drugs, including a bottle of the cough medication Tussionex.

Then on June 26, police said Moore came back again. They said surveillance video shows him trying twice to break the door with a hammer. However, the pharmacy had installed hurricane-proof glass by then. The suspect is seen going around to a large front window of the business and breaking that instead. He left with cash and another bottle of Tussionex.

After the second break-in, Hyatt installed a much better video camera system. It captured clear pictures, which police said helped them identify the suspects after it was shown on Eyewitness News on June 29.

When Hyatt opened his pharmacy in 1966, he had no fear of crime. The business was never a victim of serious crime until just last month.

"We've learned that times have changed," Hyatt said. "Thieves can do things now they couldn't do before, and we've got to improve our technology."

An Eyewitness News camera was in the courtroom Wednesday when Bean appeared for a bond hearing, sitting with his parents. A judge set his bond at $35,000.

Moore, who has one previous drug arrest in Charlotte, had a bond set at $45,000.

Rock Hill police are still looking for a third man who was involved in the final break-in at the pharmacy on June 26. He was only seen briefly by surveillance cameras and did not enter the store.

For Sweat, the two arrests so far are more than a relief.

"You can actually breathe, and know it's going to be OK," she said.

More Headlines

Desktop Weather Alerts

Receive weather warnings, watches and advisories right on your desktop along with the latest news from WSOC-TV. Click here to add it to yours! Full Story ››


Charlotte Events

Let us help you plan your weekend with fun things to do in Charlotte, check out our featured events or find a concert or sporting event to attend. Full Story ››


E-Mail News

E - News Registration
 7 a.m. Headlines
9 a.m. Headlines
12 p.m. Headlines
4 p.m. Headlines
9 p.m. Headlines
Breaking News Alerts
Make WSOCTV.com Your Home Page

E-Mail News

E - News Registration
 7 a.m. Headlines
9 a.m. Headlines
12 p.m. Headlines
4 p.m. Headlines
9 p.m. Headlines
Breaking News Alerts

Show Off!

Good Times - Submit Your Pet Pics Here! - Image From Jennifer Bolin
Jennifer Bolin
Our pet gallery of photos keeps growing and growing. We love the photos you've sent in, so please keep them coming. Submit your online photos here!!! Full Story ››
SLIDESHOW: Good Times | SLIDESHOW: What'cha Doin? | SLIDESHOW: You Know You Love Me
More Slideshows >>