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Alex Cabrero ReportingAnother day, another robbery, but this time, police caught a man on the hunt for a popular prescription drug. We've told you about several pharmacy oxycontin thefts in the past few weeks across the Salt Lake Valley. Today there was another one the suspect got away with, but about 9:30 tonight, he was arrested.
This arrest happened at the Sleep Inn Motel in South Jordan at about 8:30 this evening. 23-year old Chad Mecham was arrested, and the Sandy Police Department took him into custody.
His arrest is a relief for pharmacies across the valley because Mecham has been robbing several of them for weeks.
Just today, it was Alta View Hospital. The hospital has security and security cameras. The man, though, didn't seem to care one bit.
Jess Gomez, Alta View Hospital: "It worries us just because we simply want our environment to be as safe as possible."
Just after 12 O'clock this afternoon, this man casually walked into the hospital's pharmacy and gave the pharmacist a simple note...
Jess Gomez: "The exact language is, ‘I have a gun. Give me your oxycontin and no one will get hurt.'"
Oxycontin looks as innocent as aspirin; it even comes in a normal-looking bottle, but it makes some people, like this man, act anything but normal.
Sgt. Victor Quezada, Sandy Police Dept.: "It's one of those pills that's very expensive on the street number one; and number two, it gives that certain person the high they want."
The pharmacist gave the man about 130 pills and he left, never showing a gun. It's the exact same type of robbery that happened at several Walgreens across Salt Lake Valley. There was one in West Jordan, one in South Jordan and one yesterday in Draper.
Geral Allred, Yesterday: "It's a concern. We want to grab this guy and get him off the street."
Never before, in all these cases, did it happen at a hospital.
Victor Quezada: "It seems like he's getting a little more brazen with his actions, coming inside a business instead of just a quick access one door out. What's his next step? Is he going to produce a gun? We don't know, so we'd like to get this guy off the streets as soon as possible."
That's exactly what happened tonight. Mecham is now in jail facing several charges. Police believe he is the same man who robbed oxycontin throughout the valley. No doubt, pharmacy workers can be a little more at ease now.
