LUCERNE — A rapid response by sheriff”s deputies to an attempted robbery of the Lucerne Pharmacy on Thursday afternoon led to the arrest of a 41-year-old Nice man.
On Wednesday at approximately 3:30 p.m. sheriff”s deputies responded to a reported robbery in progress at the Lucerne Pharmacy on Highway 20.
A 9-1-1 call to sheriff”s dispatch reported that a man was terrorizing employees and customers by demanding that they “get down on the floor and that they would be shot if he didn”t get some medication.”
As deputies were responding, they were updated that the suspect had ransacked medication cabinets and tried to force his way into a secured area where employees were hiding before eventually running from the business.
Deputies assigned to the Sheriff”s Special Enforcement Detail (SED) were working the Lucerne area at the time the robbery was being reported. The first deputy arrived at the scene within two minutes of the call and he immediately located a man matching the suspect description sitting in a vehicle next to the pharmacy. The suspect, later identified as Jesus Torres-Fernandez of Nice, was detained without incident.
The investigation into the incident revealed that Torres-Fernandez had come to the pharmacy to have a prescription for methadone filled. While waiting for his medication, he suddenly became agitated, pushing customers out of his way and yelling at employees to get his medication. Torres-Fernandez then stuck his hand in the pocket of his sweatshirt, simulated having a gun, and ordered everyone to get down on the floor or he would shoot them.
Convinced that Torres-Fernandez had a gun, customers ran out of the pharmacy and the employees fled into a secured pharmaceutical area of the business.
Torres-Fernandez jumped over a counter and tried to get into the secured area through a window and a side door.
After failing to get in, he started throwing items of merchandise at the window while yelling at employees to give him drugs. He eventually gave up and ran out of the business.
Torres-Fernandez was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility.
A hypodermic syringe was found in his pants pocket during a pre-booking search. He was booked on charges of attempted robbery, first degree burglary, false imprisonment, making criminal threats, battery, and unlawful possession of a hypodermic syringe. Torres-Fernandez remains in custody at the Lake County Correctional facility in lieu of $25,000 bail.
