12:30pm | This past Sunday, two pharmacies in east Long Beach were robbed by an armed male suspect who the Long Beach Police Department is asking the community’s help in locating.

The first incident occurred at approximately 4:50pm, when police were called to a pharmacy on the 3300 block of East Anaheim Street after the suspect confronted the cashier with a handgun and demanded cash.  The suspect fled from the business prior to obtaining any cash.  

Approximately ten minutes later, at 5:00pm, police responded to another armed robbery at a pharmacy on the 1800 block of Ximeno Avenue. The suspect again confronted the cashier with a handgun, demanded cash, and was last seen fleeing the business through the front doors with the loss.

In both robberies, the suspect was described as a male Hispanic approximately 5’4” to 5’6” tall with a stocky build.

Although no one was injured in either crime, police advise the business community to use extreme caution if they come into contact with this suspect, and to call 9-1-1 immediately.

Business owners and employees are urged to practice the following safety tips:

• Keep windows of the business clear of advertising material and decorations, which can screen an intruder from outside view.  Avoid working alone, and have a phone that is easily accessible inside the business.
• Calling 9-1-1 from a landline phone and leaving it off the hook summons the police to your location immediately.
• Excess cash should be transferred from the cash register frequently, and cash registers should be emptied every night.
• Surveillance cameras should be maintained and camera lenses cleaned routinely-checking footage regularly can ensure equipment is working properly.
• Train employees on how to retrieve video footage, the sooner detectives are able to obtain footage, the better chance they have of apprehending a suspect.
• Parking areas around business should be well-lit and covered by video surveillance that is able to record in color and able to show numbers clearly, such as those on license plates. Digital systems are very effective.

Anyone who may have any information regarding these crimes is urged to contact Long Beach Police Department Robbery Detail at (562) 570-7464. Tips may also be submitted anonymously via text or e-mail by visiting www.tipsoft.com. If you see the suspect or know of his whereabouts, please call 9-1-1 immediately.