Burglary at a pharmacy in La Quinta

Around 2:15 a.m, officers responded to a report of a burglary at Pharmacy of the Desert, which is located near Date Palm Drive and Highway 111 in La Quinta. This family-owned business has been around for over 2 years, and this is the third time someone breaks in.

Doris Khalil is one of the owners, and she said the robbery was all caught on their surveillance cameras.

“At 2 am five people tried to unlock the door, I think they failed because we put a lot of security,” Khalil said.

But even with the heavy metal doors, special sensors and extra locks, Khalil said the burglars managed to drive an allegedly stolen truck through the back of the store knocking their security doors and leaving a hole in the wall.

“They came in and randomly took some medications..not really drugs,” she said. “Cough syrups, medications, random stuff. I don’t think that’s what they needed.”

Khalil said this seems to be a new normal for pharmacy owners around the Coachella Valley.

“It’s a big problem especially for pharmacies everywhere. I heard a lot in Indio,” she said.

The owners do not have an estimate of how much was stolen from the store, but most damage was made in the back of the store where the truck drove in.

“I think that what we need is security in the plaza, more security guards,” Khalil said.

Investigator Muñoz from Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation is ongoing and no suspects are in custody. He did add that those involved in the burglary could be linked to a shooting this morning in Coachella due to reports of a similar vehicle at both scenes. Muñoz said it is still too premature to tell.

The pharmacy is still up and running taking care of customers as usual. They cleaned the mess and went back to work.