Police investigating connection between series of pharmacy robberies

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (WSVN) -- After masked robbers hit three drug stores in one day, police are looking into whether these armed robberies are connected to six others last month within the Broward County.

Lauderhill, Margate and Coconut Creek detectives are comparing notes this morning to determine whether the same gunmen conducted the early morning robberies. The first robbery occurred at about 3 a.m. Monday when two armed men entered a CVS Pharmacy on 5501 W. Oakland Park Blvd in Lauderhill.

The robbers wore ski masks and ordered the people inside to the floor. The men told the employees to open the registers and safe before fleeing in a silver or champagne-shaded car. Two armed men also robbed a CVS Pharmacy at 255 S. State Road 7 at about 4:10 a.m in Margate. This time one man wore a black ski mask and the other man donned a skull mask. One man with a silver semi-automatic handgun forced the store manager to open the front drawers of the cashiers and removed all the money inside. The robber also took a store employee's cell phone.

Ten minutes later, a Walgreens employee at 4600 Coconut Creek Pkwy in Coconut Creek stepped outside to investigate a noise in the parking lot. A man armed with a black gun, in a black ski mask, with a gray hat and gloves stepped out of a car and told the employee to empty the cash registers. A second man with a silver gun wearing black clothing and a mask from the movie Scream also entered. The men took money from every cash register in the store. The men fled in a gray four-door Jetta.

If you have any information on this robberies, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

(Copyright 2007 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)