2 pharmacies in Los Angeles area burglarized on same night; 1 suspect arrested

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Police are investigating two overnight burglaries at two separate Los Angeles area pharmacies - one in Beverly Hills and another in Lennox. One suspect was arrested Wednesday in connection with one of the incidents, but police are still working to find the others involved.

Beverly Hills pharmacy break-in

An 18-year-old was arrested in connection with a burglary at Pharmacy 90210, and at least four other suspects remain at large.

It happened around 2:45 a.m. at the store in the 9700 block of Wilshire Boulevard. Police said when officers arrived, the suspects took off in a Dodge Durango Hellcat, which investigators said was stolen from the Topanga area some time ago.

An LAPD helicopter later tracked down the vehicle on the 10 Freeway, which was heading eastbound with no lights.

Police said the suspects ultimately stopped near Imperial Highway and 115th Street and took off running.

That's where Sergio Giobanni Estrada Ochoa, 18, of Los Angeles, was taken into custody and booked for commercial burglary. The remaining suspects remain on the run.

It's unclear if they managed to take anything from the pharmacy.

According to police, the suspects have used the Hellcat to burglarize other pharmacies multiple times.

The Beverly Hills Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact the Detective Bureau at 310-285-2150.

Another pharmacy burglary caught on camera

At around 2:10 a.m., a group of suspects broke into the LAX Pharmacy in Lennox.

Surveillance footage shows four suspects using some sort of tool to open the door and another suspects standing near a vehicle.

The group managed to take off with about $2,000 worth of medications, including codeine. The owner, who did not wish to be identified, said this marks the second time his business was burglarized.

"Senselessly, they just cause havoc when they come in," he said. "The systems are broken, the window is broken, the gates are broken ... all of that stuff takes away from running a small business."

He said many small businesses are being hit hard when it comes to crime since many can't afford to hire their own security guards.

The South Los Angeles sheriff's station told Eyewitness News it's working to see if the two pharmacy break-ins are somehow connected.