Burglary crew targets Garden Grove pharmacies

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- Garden Grove police are asking for the public's help to find a burglary crew that targeted three pharmacies over the weekend.

Two men are seen on surveillance video using crow bars to pry open the door to one of the pharmacies.

"Back to back, so between 4:15 and 4:45 three businesses were hit," said Lt. Carl Whitney from Garden Grove PD.

The three stores the crew hit were all on Westminster Avenue and include: Hong Pharmacy, Ana Pharmacy and Cali Care Pharmacy.

Police say the thieves only managed to get into one of the stores. They took cough syrup with codeine and pills. Police say security gates kept the crew out the other, including Megan Trinh's Cali Care.

"They couldn't get in because of the alarm system, I'm happy to know the alarm system kept me from trouble," said Trinh.

She says this is the third time her store's been targeted since 2017.

She rarely carries cough syrup now. Garden Grove police are working with law enforcement agencies all over the Southland to try to stop these crews. Investigators have seen an increase in these pharmacy burglaries.

Last month, surveillance video captured two men bursting into another Garden Grove pharmacy in the middle of the day and holding the pharmacist at gunpoint.

The men then grabbed whatever they could, ultimately getting into a getaway car with nearly $19,000 worth of drugs.

"Burglary crews are targeting these small mom-and-pop pharmacies, usually in and out within 30-45 seconds," said Lt. Whitney. "They know exactly what they're looking for."

Trinh hopes officers catch these thieves. She's added security measures, but is still scared of what could happen at her pharmacy.

"Every time I walk out from work, or just coming to work - I just look around, praying that nothing bad happens," said Trinh.

If you have any information about these burglary crews, you're asked to call the Garden Grove Police Department.