Man arrested for stealing prescription medication from several Ventura County pharmacies

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. -- Ventura County Sheriff's detectives arrested a man involved in stealing prescription medication from several Ventura County pharmacies.

On May 5, Ventura County Sheriff's detectives served a warrant for the arrest of a 24-year-old La Puente man due to his involvement in multiple pharmacy burglaries throughout Ventura County.

On December 30, 2019, Ojai Police Department patrol deputies were dispatched to an alarm call at the Ojai Rexall Pharmacy on the 1100 block of Maricopa Highway in Ojai.

Patrol deputies arrived to find the business had been burglarized.

Investigators on scene collected evidence that was later submitted to the Ventura County Sheriff's Forensic Services Bureau and entered into the Combined DNA Index System.

The Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, is a database that allows crime laboratories within the U.S. to share and compare DNA info with one another.

Ojai investigators collected more evidence including video surveillance of the suspect during the crime.

In March 2020, Ojai detectives found that the DNA they collected back in December 2019 linked the suspect to a 2015 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Burglary Investigation. They were able to identify the suspect as a 24-year-old La Puente man.

In November 2020, Thousand Oaks Police deputies responded to an alarm call at the Lynn Oaks Pharmacy on the 2200 block of North Lynn Road in Thousand Oaks.

During the investigation, patrol deputies found that the business had been burglarized and that prescription medication was stolen.

Thousand Oaks Police investigators began an investigation and spoke to victims along with reviewed video evidence from both of the burglaries.

After months of collaborative investigation from Ojai Police and Thousand Oaks Police, they were able to serve a search warrant on the 600 block of Harmsworth Avenue in La Puente.

During the search warrant, the suspect was arrested and found evidence linking him to both of the burglaries.

He was booked into the Ventura County Jail on three counts of commercial burglary.

His bail is set at $50,000.

He later posted bail and has an arraignment on May 20.

Thousand Oaks and Ojai Police Department detectives filed the case with the Ventura County
District Attorney’s Office and they say court proceedings are pending.