Nurse allegedly robs pharmacy wearing a surgical mask
PORTERVILLE — A registered nurse addicted to prescription-strength pain medication was arrested Thursday on suspicion of robbing a pharmacy for more pain patches using a surgical mask to obscure her identity, Porterville police said.
Keri Jones
Sgt. Richard Carrillo detained Keri Jones, 40, of Terra Bella six days after the pharmacy was robbed. He said Jones’ vehicle — a green colored Toyota Camry with distinctive damage and oxidizing paint — matched the description of the car as seen on surveillance tape driven by the robbery suspect.
7-0-2 Pharmacy at 406 W. Putnam Avenue was robbed at 1:07 p.m. April 8 by a female who was wearing jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses and a surgical mask. The suspect handed a clerk a note demanding pain medication, specifically pain patches called Fentanyl.
After she was detained, Jones told police she uses Fentanyl pain patches, but said there would only be one box at her Terra Bella home. She also said would be no surgical masks at her residence, which had been used by the suspect during the commission of the robbery.
While executing a search warrant, detectives found numerous empty boxes of Fentanyl patches. Several of the empty boxes of Fentanyl had no prescription information.
Additionally, detectives searched the trash outside the Jones’ home and found a bundle of clothing stuffed in a bag. The clothing consisted of a gray-hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses, and a surgical mask.
