Police apprehend CVS register bandit

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have arrested a man for allegedly robbing two South Florida CVS pharmacies, Thursday.

A 7News viewer was credited for coming forward to authorities. Police expressed concern about Todd Gamble, the man they believe went to two CVS pharmacies while there were customers still inside.

Surveillance video from the CVS branch in Miami Shores on 9055 Biscayne Boulevard showed the alleged thief waiting until the clerk left from behind the counter. He then removed the cash till and left the premises, literally walking away with the cash register.

When asked by 7News to comment on the alleged robberies as the suspect was being hauled off to the Miami Shores police station in handcuffs, Gamble said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Police officers were out in force Tuesday handing out flyers at the strip mall where the Miami Shores CVS. According to Detective Paul Cazzola of the Miami Shores Police Department, what concerned him about Gamble was "the fact that he went there with a store full of people, and the fact that he walked around the store waiting for the perfect time to go behind the counter and remove the register."

The anonymous viewer who called Crime Stoppers on Wednesday was able to give police the tip they needed to identify the suspect and make the arrest Thursday morning. "We got the records checked on his past, and the picture we found matched the video that we received from CVS Pharmacy," said Miami Shores Police Detective Paul Cazzola. "We went down and we were able to apprehend him at one of his known addresses," he continued.

Cazzola express his gratitude to the viewer who contacted Crime Stoppers. "Without the viewer, and without the public's assistance as in many of our investigations, apprehending Mr. Gamble wouldn't have been possible," he said.

Authorities also revealed they were able to recover the missing register Gamble took from the Miami Shores pharmacy.

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