By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton Police are seeking three suspects in an armed robbery that took place at the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy at 8:00 a.m. Friday, October 16.
Three males entered the pharmacy brandishing an AK-47 rifle, a hand gun and a taser. The males were covered with face masks and with clothing from head to toe, so no distinguishing marks were visible nor were there any distinguishable accents in their speech according to Raton Police Chief John Garcia. According to video from the pharmacy the individuals entered the store at 8:00 a.m. and were headed out the door at 8:01 a.m. Garcia noted that the only thing taken was narcotics, no money or other items have been reported missing. The store is still doing an inventory to determine exactly what narcotics were taken.
The three individuals left the scene in a red Jeep that was later recovered near the Doña Ana Apartments still running. Raton police had ran the license plate a couple of times which alerted Albuquerque Police once APD had received the report that the vehicle had been stolen in Albuquerque some time during the night. The vehicle is being processed by New Mexico State Police Crime Lab.
Police canvassed the apartments and the area but did not find the suspects. Because of the incident, the Raton High School was locked down according to Principal Duncan Ware.
The incident is still under investigation but due to similarities with other armed robberies in the state there are multiple agencies cooperating in the investigation.
In another incident that occurred at the Pendleton gas station on south Second Street, a victim identified as Joey Romero, age 22, was shot in the thigh by an unknown suspect. The incident occurred Thursday (10-15-15) evening about 5:30 pm. Romero’s wound was non life-threatening in that the shot to the thigh didn’t hit any major artery and was a thru and thru shot.
Upon investigation, Police recovered a stolen handgun from a robbery in Pueblo from the Romero vehicle. Romero will be charged in that incident.
Raton Police are asking that if anyone has any information about either of these incidents to call the Raton Police Department at 575-445-2704.
