Crime Report: Man in Wheelchair Robs CVS
(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) Last Thursday, a knife-wielding man in a wheelchair robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Courthouse, according to this week’s Arlington County, Va. crime report.
Police say the man attempted to shoplift an electric razor and several bottles of wine. After initially leaving the store, a CVS employee reportedly wheeled him back in and asked him to replace the stolen goods. The employee backed off and let him leave again after the man brandished a knife, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
Police caught up with the suspect at the nearby Courthouse Metro station. The knife was allegedly found under the seat of his wheelchair.
ARMED ROBBERY, 11/01/12, 2100 block of N. 15th Street. On November 1 at 6:09 pm, a subject in a wheelchair entered a pharmacy, placed several items in a backpack and left the store without paying for the merchandise. An employee went outside and pushed the subject back into the store to recover the items. The subject brandished a knife and fled the scene. Police located him a short distance away at the Courthouse Metro station. The knife was recovered on the subject and the merchandise was returned . William Louis Chase, Jr., 45, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with armed robbery. He was held without bond.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
Car Plows Into Columbia Pike CVS, Again
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) A car has plowed into the CVS Pharmacy at 5017 Columbia Pike for the second time in as many years.
The incident happened around 11:00. The car, a Mitsubishi sedan, hopped a curb smashed through a low wall and several large windows next to the entrance to the store, coming to rest on the sidewalk. Nobody was injured. Initial reports suggest the driver was trying to back out of the parking spot, but instead hit the gas while the car was in drive.
The fire department ordered the store temporarily closed as a safety precaution, pending a building inspection. A manager, who was assessing the damage, said the mid-day closure was costing the store “thousands” of dollars, not to mention the cost of repairing the damage.
In May 2011, a car hopped the curb and smashed into the store just feet from where today’s accident occurred. The scars from that accident are still visible in the repaired section of wall.
The manager said the store will likely look into planters or other ways to prevent additional accidents.
CVS Launches ‘MinuteClinic’ in Pentagon City
CVS Pharmacy has launched a MinuteClinic at its new Pentagon City location (1201 S. Hayes Street).
The store-based clinic will offer customers quick diagnostics and solutions for common ailments and injuries, as well as vaccinations and and basic check-ups for adolescents. From a company press release:
MinuteClinic nurse practitioners and physician assistants specialize in family health care and can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. Minor wounds, abrasions and joint sprains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, pneumonia and Hepatitis A & B are available at most locations. Walk-in camp, sports and college physicals for adolescents are available daily. In addition, MinuteClinic administers a series of wellness services designed to help consumers identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health, including screenings and monitoring for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
No appointments are required at MinuteClinic and most health insurance is accepted. For patients paying cash or credit, treatment prices are posted at each medical center and on www.minuteclinic.com. The cost for most treatment starts at $79.
A PR rep for the company said MinuteClinics help to make healthcare “more accessible, convenient and affordable for patients near where they live and work.”
This is the second MinuteClinic in Arlington and the 22nd in the metro D.C. area. The other Arlington-based MinuteClinic is located at the CVS at the Lyon Village Shopping Center (3133 Lee Highway).
Both Arlington clinics operate seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday; and 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
