Burglary At Canton Publix Pharmacy Under Investigation

CANTON, GA — Canton police detectives are working to piece together clues that could help them arrest two suspects accused of breaking into the Publix Pharmacy at 120 Prominence Point Parkway early Tuesday.

Patrol officers were dispatched around 5 a.m. Jan. 23 to the store, and arrived on the scene where they met with a store employee who "immediately noticed a male standing in the pharmacy department" when he arrived early for work, the agency said.

This individual, sporting a hoodie, fled the store from the back door. A delivery driver also stationed behind the store told police he saw two men running into the wood line before the cops arrived on the premises.

A perimeter was established, and a police K-9 was called in to help with tracking the individuals, but that proved to be unsuccessful. Throughout the day, detectives collected evidence, which included tools the suspects used to enter the facility and pharmacy drugs that were left behind.

From the evidence, the department said it appears the suspects discovered a back door to a vacant suite next to the grocery store. The pair entered the vacant storefront and "were able to knock a hole in the wall that allowed them to gain entry into the store."

"Indicators are both perpetrators then slid across the floor to the pharmacy and were able to force their way into the department," the police department added. "The method of entry hid their activity from persons outside the store and stock employees who were working inside at the time of the incident."

They were also able to disable the store's alarm system once they got inside the business, the agency added.

Detectives are in the midst of examining other items left behind to see if they can identify the suspects responsible for the burglary. Police note it appears the "criminals were interrupted as they committed the act and were not able to get away with the prescription narcotics they were attempting to steal."

Canton police are also working with other agencies in surrounding jurisdictions that have reported similar incidents.

A similar incident of a suspect cutting through an adjacent wall to access a pharmacy was reported in May 2017 at PharMoore Pharmacy at 3422 Sixes Road in unincorporated Canton. The Cherokee Sheriff's Office previously told Patch that detectives believe the suspect entered the store on May 22 by breaking the lock on the Farmers Insurance office next door. He made entry into the insurance office and broke through the wall of the pharmacy. Once inside, the suspect used a crowbar to open the safe, and removed prescription drugs and pill bottles from the shelves.

Anyone with information on the identity of the suspects are asked to call 9-1-1 or the Police Department at 770-720-4883.

Surveillance footage provided by Canton Police Department