By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com
El Dorado County authorities had no problem locating a robbery suspect today, after the suspect gave pharmacy workers his real name before returning to rob it with a BB gun.
At around 11 a.m. today Andrew Schulz, 22, asked pharmacy workers at the Safeway on Francisco Boulevard in El Dorado Hills to give him Norco - a medical grade pain reliever, said Sgt. Phil Chovanec, a spokesman for the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department. He couldn't provide a prescription from his doctor.
When the staff refused, Schulz left, Chovanec said. When he returned 15 minutes later, he showed the staff what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun and asked "does that change things," Chovanec said.
"It turned out to be BB gun, but it looked like a semi-automatic handgun when it was shown," Chovanec said. "To the person being shown the gun, it looked real. They were scared for sure."
The suspect then left with a large amount of Norco. As the suspect left one of the clerks followed him out and was able to tell the sheriff's office the suspect's direction of travel.
Armed with that information and the patient's address, authorities quickly arrested Schulz - who lives 1.5 miles away -- and recovered the drugs and weapon, Chovanec said.
Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.
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