Deer Isle
Pharmacy break-in prompts
$1,000 reward for information
Stolen narcotics
estimated at $14,500
by Faith DeAmbrose
STONINGTON-"It was the exact scenario as the last time" the store was broken into, said Vern Seile, owner of Burnt Cove Market and V&S Variety Store and V&S Pharmacy, "but this time the person responsible cut the power and telephone lines before entering."
At 2:55 a.m., on Sunday, November 15, the alarm from V&S Pharmacy awoke owners Vern and Sandra Seile, who live next door. The alarm, despite the loss of power, was connected to a battery back-up and worked as intended.
Seile said that when he arrived at the store only minutes had passed and that the front door of the variety store and the door to the pharmacy had been kicked in and the contents of the C-2 closet-where the narcotics are kept-was emptied. The tires on Seile's vehicle were also slashed.
Seile called the Hancock County Sheriff's Department but neither he nor the sheriff's deputy were able to immediately find the person responsible for the burglary. A detective from the sheriff's department returned on Monday to continue the investigation, said Seile, who had to arrange for repairs to the power and telephone lines, as well as replace two doors, three tires, and the contents of the narcotics closet.
According to Detective Alan Brown of the Hancock County Sheriff's Department, the investigation continued into Tuesday. By press time no further information had been made available. Brown estimates the value of the stolen narcotics at $14,500.
Acknowledging that both this break-in and another just a few months earlier (where a suspect failed to get into the narcotics closet and was not identified) were committed in a similar fashion, Seile said this time the person "did their homework and worked a little bit harder," ultimately getting to and clearing out the pharmacy's supply of narcotics.
Seile is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible. Those with information should contact either Detective Alan Brown or Deputy Ben Astbury at the Hancock County Sheriff's Department at 667-7575.
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