Suspected leader of pharmacy burglary crew arrested in San Bernardino

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Police in San Bernardino Wednesday announced that they had arrested the suspected leader of a group of criminals responsible for multiple pharmacy break-ins across the city going back to last year.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), pharmacy burglaries are up across the country. Criminals can make a lot of money off the stolen drugs. The San Bernardino Police Department said it's trying to crack down on these crimes.

Six independent pharmacies in San Bernardino have been targeted by thieves since 2023, including some hit multiple times this summer. The department shared video of one of those burglaries on social media Wednesday. In the video, the criminals are seen breaking in through the ceiling, before shoving mountains of pills into trash bags and walking out. According to the department, the break-ins would happen anywhere from midnight to 6 a.m.

"The suspects would target the business, gain entry through the rooftop, through the air conditioning vents, and once inside they would target specific prescription narcotics," said Detective Steven Taylor with the SBPD. 

The targets are typically controlled substances, ranging from Percocet to fentanyl, drugs that can make criminals thousands of dollars on the street. 

Credit: @SanBernardinoPD via X

The SBPD said Wednesday that it had arrested the alleged leader of the crew responsible for some of these burglaries. Police identified him only as a Nevada resident.

While detectives would not say how they were able to track the suspect down, they did advise business owners to invest in high-definition cameras, silent alarms and bolted safes.