A man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of three counts of felony 2nd degree robbery in connection with recent holdups at pharmacies in Palm Desert, a sheriff's sergeant said.
He was identified as Angelo Philip Hawes, 31, of Palm Desert, and he was held Wednesday on $30,000 bail at Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. He has a court date Sept. 19 in Indio.
One of the alleged robberies was reported at 11:14 a.m. Sept. 12 at the CVS Pharmacy in the 42000 block of Washington Street, Palm Desert Station personnel said in a statement.
"Upon the initial investigation investigators believed the suspect was also responsible for a similar robbery at the same business on July 25, 2013," sheriff's personnel said.
"Investigators reviewed surveillance video from the September 12, 2013 robbery and saw the suspect got into a white vehicle. Investigators located a similar white vehicle in the vicinity of CVS and determined there was not enough evidence to implicate the registered owner in the robberies at that time."
Deputies did more surveillance on the vehicle to obtain additional evidence, according to Deputy Julio Oseguera and Sgt. Tom Brewster.
About 10:55 a.m. Tuesday Sept. 17, the same vehicle was in the parking lot of Walgreens at Washington Street and Ave 42 and deputies saw a white male run from the business and get into the vehicle, Oseguera and Brewster said.
"Moments later dispatchers advised the business had just been robbed," sheriff's personnel said.
Investigators took the suspect, Hawes, into custody without incident.
"Further investigation and physical evidence recovered during the service of a search warrant at Hawes' residence implicated him in all three robberies," Oseguera and Brewster said.
Hawes was booked in Indio for three counts of robbery. Anyone with more info was urged to call Investigator Burgie at the Palm Desert Station, (760) 836-1600 or Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP.
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